White Knee, Asian Yield, Black Neck

White Knee, Asian Yield, Black Neck

A system,

a benevolent one,

in a beautiful land,

it is said,

can provide opportunities for all,

I mean all,

the opposite,

is inconceivable,

but opens up,

to emancipate a select,

and disenfranchise those,

it has chosen to reject,

paying lip-service,

to half a millennia,

of injustices,

instead rewarding,

precarious supremacism,

it is no wonder,

in one state structure,

supposed to preserve,

law and order,

it is condoned for

a White knee,

to press hard,

onto a Black neck,

subdued,

and an Asian,

standing by,

to yield,

to look the other way,

while a Black is,

murdered,

in broad-day light,

knowing well,

they will get away,

with it,

perhaps it,

is not the first time,

if so,

how many more times,

have they done it,

without scrutiny,

of a serendipitous,

passer-by,

filming an arrest,

in this benevolent system,

which can provide for all,

opportunities,

self-determination,

to correct anomalies,

to allow Whites,

accumulate wealth,

as much as Blacks,

as much as Browns,

instead it,

runs the bureaucracy,

extremely slow,

when the Black,

approaches,

the counter,

to present,

their case,

deterrence tactics,

meanwhile years go by,

a Black child becomes a granny,

a system deliberately,

stifles the promise,

in a  Black child,

to churn out,

a delinquent youth,

destined for the,

pariah-police-prison pipeline,

a mis-fit in valourised society,

clobbered from cradle to grave,

a system,

whose venerated mouth-piece,

orders: ’if you loot we shoot,’

in the place of,

‘let us walk the talk,’

of equal opportunities,

the Officer in uniform,

could have put in so much time,

to make it all the way up the ranks,

trained hard,

strove to be an officer of the law,

otherwise,

that could be one reason why,

the one,
who stood by watching,

was not,
 able to stop the White Knee,

that pressed hard,

both jugular and windpipe,

perhaps there is such a code,

extended from locker-room culture,

between officer-to-officer,

never to get involved,

in an over-kill,

the knee,

that was pressing the Black man,

meanwhile presses harder,

perhaps in this White officer's mind,

it was White versus Black,

a wrestling match,

whose manual

whose rules,

are subdue and subjugate,

the Blacker the better,

he was so elated,

stimulated by hurting a Black person,

hearing cracks of bone,

perhaps the cervical column,

was not giving in,

fast enough,

to the superior White pressure,

to the superior White force,

adjust here and there,

arm in pocket,

weigh down,

apply all force,

more, 

with the neck twisted,

it would only take,

there,

that is blood,

the nectar of life,

flows from the ears,

eyes bulge,

the mouth gives up,

the sap of life,

‘I can’t breathe,’

a whisper,

that would connect,

to forces of change,

a little while later,

the body is limp,

definitely the Minneapolis City,

will cover the medical bills,

after all the uniform,

and the uniformed,

belonged to the City,

the officer will turn up to work,

in the same City,

another day,

another time,

favours will be called in,

perhaps transfers,

conversations in manicured suburbs,

but this Black man,

why was he there?

where?

there?

why was he resisting?

why didn't this Black man,

raise up his arms?

why didn't he just get down?

he should have gone down!

they know the procedure,

it should even be written ,

on bill boards,

when approached by the Police,

and you are Black,

fall down on your knees,

the Black man,

gentle giant,

companionable,

had a name,

George Floyd,

it is said,

the police,

answered a call,

a call of forgery,

but the details,

remain locked up,

somewhere by someone,

the unknowns,

behind unknowns,

what is known,

a Black man,

is dead,

by the hands,

of a uniformed White Police officer,

a White man,

there is a medal of honour,

waiting in the,

members' only exclusive salons,

a right of passage,

celebrated over roast beef,

an honour kill barbecued-in

a beer barrel wheeled in,

beef, barbecue and barrels,

and lots of hooray-hoorays,

envied by many like him,

to kill a Black man,

an honour kill,

while on duty: expect no charges,

there will be a gold watch,

waiting to be donned,

on the wrist,

there are now two families,

who are affected:

those who will celebrate,

the White Police Officer,

for brevity and courageousness,

in the face of danger,

while keeping the city safe,

meanwhile,

for the Black one,

the next call,

is the morgue,

and the city,

is demanding,

for them to pay the undertaker's bill,

that is their biggest worry,

and order of the day,

the Black one's soul,

is given a heavenly reception,

the body is another statistics,

meanwhile for the Officer,

barbecued, beered, barreled and honoured,

the officer and club,

underestimated,

the collective bitterness of,

those who are aware,

good can go to,

both goose and gander,

a righteous anger rose up,

from all corners,

tribes, ages and races,

whispers are pushing back,

a youthful hand,

steady and angry,

recorded the brutality,

not the first recording of this kind,

this particular video went viral,

it catalysed action,

this time,

it was different,

in the midst of COVID-19,

with stay-home restrictions,

when more eyes,

families and communities,

are watching digital screens,

this one video,

has woken up,

the state,

reneged on upholding,

sanctity of Black life,

long un addressed issues,

back-logged and tied,

into the very,

stifling bureaucracy,

are the very fuel,

stoking the fires of accountability,

the state is being reminded,

the duty to her people,

all people,

order in the City,

justice for the,

murder of George Floyd.