Traffic stop; intersection of Atlantic Blvd. and Arlington Rd.
Jacksonville, Florida,
Mid day
Usually, at traffic stops,
I check my appearance
In the rear view mirror,
But now, a vivid scene took place at the bus shelter
On the corner:
A heavily armed and armored Police Officer was arresting
An young, black, boy, as
Another black boy was watching from the bench.
“Drug dealing,” I thought
“No doubt,
And in plain day light”
As the young black boy was staying still, calm,
Opposing no resistance,
I noticed that the Police Officer was visibly shaking,
Fidgeting with the hand cuffs,
Not finding its keys
A young black girl traversed the street
Walking calm pass the Police Officer
And set on the bench, next to the other black boy.
“Eye witnesses”, I thought.
Ops! The traffic light has changed!
I need to roll!
One's distance and angle from an incident affect eye-witness accounts. Then, factor in all of the racial tension lately. I agree with Ron about relying on videos as a basis for separating bias from fact.
Your poem leaves much to the imagination as to what will transpire.
You just pointed out the problem with eyewitnesses. One may get only a portion of what happened and not ever be able to understand what was going on in the minds of the people involved. I prefer cold videos to the hot impressions of those who saw something, carrying their own personal prejudices into the story they tell. A cliffhanger for sure…
Each person is but a grain of sand resting beside the sea. This thought sets the tone for Jill Eisnaugle’s latest poetry collection, Beside Still Waters.
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Your poem leaves much to the imagination as to what will transpire.
Ron
Kool write, stay tuned for the next episode
Peace be with you
William