"I Can't Breathe"
A poem by church member Ellie Stock
Inside the glass
a young man says his
last goodbye,
a phone call to his
mother, vigiling outside,
a cough and a sneeze
now a pandemic disease,
soon he is whispering,
I can’t breathe—
isolated and trapped
by a ventilator machine,
a masked nurse holds
his hand to ease his pain
until he dies.
Outside the glass
a mother says her
last goodbye,
a phone call to her ailing
son inside,
eyes burning and red,
tears clogging her throat,
grieving
uncontrollably, I can’t breathe,
no one consoling or hearing
her cry
masked ones walk by
as she watches intently
his final sigh.
Inside the glass
a black man says his
last goodbye,
a video recording to
witnesses outside
arrest and
handcuffing, then a racism disease,
soon he is choking, I can’t breathe (12 times)
face pinned to the
street, neck kneed, lynched by white police
while masked
witnesses shout for relief
until he dies.
Outside the glass
Mothers say their
last goodbye,
a viral video to the
public outside,
eyes burning with
anger and hearts in their throat,
screaming loudly, I can’t breathe,
400 years, violently
oppressed by white supremacy law and vigilantes,
while masked
protestors demonstrate for justice
as cities burn and
die.
Inside the glass
creatures lament—will
it be their last goodbye—
media and marches to
the world beside,
eyes burning, throats
choking from polluting,
and protesting
loudly, I can’t breathe,
Life exploited by
legal and corporate greed,
masks hiding climate change
extinctioning
as communities die.
Outside the glass
Pachamama mourns—will
it be her last goodbye—
warnings to humanity
collapsing inside,
land, water and air
depleting, eyes and throat parching,
pleading desperately
to all species, I can’t breathe,
strangling pandemics
of hatred and greed,
praying to unmask love,
courage and empathy,
so Mother Earth and
all may thrive.
ejhs
5/29/2020
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