Can you Imagine?

Can you imagine
your son,
with his neck
under the knee,
as his breath came in shorter
and he begged for release?
Or your daughter,
asleep in her bed,
as the door came down
and she woke in
terror to the 
shootingshouting roaring 
through her ears?
Or your cousin, out running,
brought down
in his prime,
for no 
reason?

Or a child,
a young child,
your
child —
beaten,
on the side
of the road,
like she was nothing
like she was not
even
a
thing?

You cannot imagine,
because this,
should be
unimaginable.

But we are

watching 
watching
watching

We should be

listening 
listening 
listening 

For the time for watching
is over,
and the time for acting
is now.

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This poem is available as a limited edition print with 100% of proceeds going to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

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