They get closer to the door, fists in the air
Holding a bottle in one hand and a match in the other
The night sky is red with flames
Gunshots fly through the air, the sound is deafening
Peaceful they said
The overturned cars have had their windows broken in
Cement blocks have been thrown through our neighbors' windows
Screams fill the air
Signs pleading for peace have been stomped into the ground
Peaceful they said
The mob has made it to the base of the building, pounding on the door
My coworkers are barracading the front entrance
The rioters have brought more cement blocks as the glass shatters
The cocktails filled with fire are thrown through
Peaceful they said
Up the stairs they ran as the room filled with flames
The fire licks their heels as the flames rise
The smoke is filling the floor
It's getting harder to breathe
Peaceful they said
My head feels light as I stand with the others
The fire escape ladder is slick in my sweating fingers
Then it drops and we decend
The ground below me spins, and as I look up at the sky my vision blurs with tears
PEACEFUL THEY SAID
I hear the screams around me as I lie there on the ground in the alleyway
The smoke in my lungs burn my throat
Tears streak down my ash stained cheeks
I'm losing the will to stay awake as the crowd chants through the streets
Peaceful they said
Peaceful they said
Peaceful they said
The sounds of the city fade away
Peaceful...at last
.
.
.
"Another Black Lives Matter peaceful protest lasted through the night this past Thursday, the police threw tear gas at the protesters. On a side note, the rate of crimes such as arson, theft, and breaking and entering has skyrocketed these past few weeks."
YOU ARE READING
Emotions Overflow
PoetryThis is a book composed of emotions, not always poetry at it's finest nor is it a work of art. It's a mess, just like the day to day goings of life. This book was written over the course of the 2020-2021 school year
