Right to Breathe

It is the good God who infuses life 

yet, you played 'God' arrogant officer 

when your knees stifled

and denied breath to a defenseless man!

you did it merely because his skin was black 

and not white, like yours! 

You did not even care

to talk to him, listen

to his part of the story

it's almost as if the uniform

and your colour entitled you

to do as you pleased, so long as the atrocity

is directed at a black man! 

Asking 'you' to be ashamed 

would be asking too much! 

let me ask another  question instead 

"Does the leader, leading the nation

at a particular point of time

give you a sense of security, encouragement 

provide guts to play 'Law breaker'

in place of 'Law enforcer'  

the job you are paid to do? "   

NB: (1) This poem was triggered by the murder of George Floyd, a 46 year old  Black man in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA by a white  police officer Derek Chauvin.

        (2) This poem was composed  for the Yercaud Poetry Fest and  included in the anthology "Breathe Poetry-Reclaim Life" .