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Epidermal Evidence



It’s skin deep evident,
being black is an inherent crime

It doesn’t matter whether we
peacefully
stand our ground,
or be siren subservient — 
Hands in the air, 
knees bent

We get shot seven times,
by a six-shooter

In the back of our mind,
fear is a pride looter

Epidermal evidence suggests,
probable cause is
five fingers of uniform blue grave danger

A click gavel falls trigger quick,
siren verdict be:    1st degree fatal anger

It’s just another casket open-and-shut case,
the latest obituary picture 
bearing eyewitness of Breonna Taylor’s face

Like chalk on a blackboard,
we get erased ...
so rap sheet easily

Four-by-for centuries,
our coffin pleas
have been iron fetter ignored

The only asphalt sound 
silently heard
are the yellow tape trace words:
	“I can’t breathe,” 
	       with our George Floyd face 
in the paved dirt

Epidermal evidence historically reveal:

We always got shot seven times,
by a six-shooter

Skin color hatred smoking barrel explode
on a trigger reload
Being black was our genetic crime

Wanting the good life
	on the whiter side
of the picket fence
Made former slave cotton-picking sense

Our emancipated thoughts
	were escaped equality sought
			But votes auction bought,
	forced us to tragically be
paddy wagon pellet caught

And when suffrage hope died,
it was our fault — 
Runaway tears shed for naught!

Morgue blame sent:
Usual suspect motives be
dreams non-violent

Desiring to be integrated legally
	   into American society
was our heinous offense

No need for more epidermal evidence

It’s just another cell open-and-shut case,
the latest unarmed picture 
bearing eyewitness of Jacob Blake’s face

We repeatedly 
get shot seven times,
by a six-shooter

Seems the lawlessness of the land says:
The badge can be
judge, jury
and executioner

Ain’t it blatant epidermal evident,
being black is an egregious, breathable offense
Of which there is no self-defense

We get shot seven times,
by a six-shooter

Perpetrator exit wombs inflicted on
menace to society ghetto we
Aborted justice is our 
perforated epidermal eulogy

Being black is a natural-born crime,
evidentiary,
an umbilical sin

It’ll get you pandemic shot seven times,
by a sick, sick six-shooter

Copyright © Freddie Robinson Jr.

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Book: Shattered Sighs