Breonna Taylor - A Poem For Her

Two lungs breathe deep 

Inhaling and exhaling 

The air heavy with news

Two legs move forward

Feet lifting and resting 

Knees bending and stretching

Two fists clenched

Thumbs in palms

Knuckles twitching at the ends of arms

This is outer body

We’re in disbelief for her

Hearing of her body broken was already enough to us

Now the words of no indictment 

Splits through the noise and comes straight for us

We’re disappointed but not surprised

Inside us our souls uprise 

And we scream for her 

We rip ourselves open and we bleed for her

We lose ourselves in rage and we break down for her

We march and we protest and some riot for her 

Some riot for her

We lose sleep and miss days on jobs for her

And walk out of school for her

Because It’s all for her

All for her

It’s for her

If we don’t do it, who will for her? 

Who will stand at attention and refuse to move for her

Who will light this place up and watch it burn for her

Because what’s worth more, to us?

A brick building or a person?

It’s all for her. 

All for her 

We didn’t ask for billboards of her

The magazines make a mockery and bring no justice for her

Your black squares

And Facebook posts brought no reparations for her

You did everything but truly fight for her

Who will for her? 

Her family grieves for her

Boyfriend has PTSD and nightmares of her 

Watched as she took her last breath

Couldn’t bring comfort to her

When justice is denied how much money can cover up the death of her? 

The death of her…

Last night we mourned for her 

we still mourn for her 

We break bread and hold hands and we pray prayers for her 

We drop tears like bombs we grieve for her 

We see no light at the end of the tunnel

We will fight for her

if we don’t for her

Who will for her?

It’s all for her