A Great Awakening

It's May 25th, 2020.

I hesitate,

then force myself to

WATCH 

'Don't look away'

I tell myself on repeat.

Minute after painful minute.

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"I can't breathe"

(I hear more than 20 times).

"They'll kill me, they'll kill me."

"Momma, I love you."

"Tell my kids I love them."

"I'm dead."

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9 agonizing minutes and 28 seconds later,

the knee finally removed from the neck.

Limp and lifeless,

flung onto a stretcher. 

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GEORGE FLOYD HAS BEEN MURDERED

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The footage will forever stay with me.

The pleading,

crying,

 grunting, 

desperation, 

goodbyes, 

it has been forever burned 

onto the retina of my soul.

I cannot unsee it,

nor do I want to.

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I was home, alone,

Covid-19 sheltering in place.

Since I had nowhere else to be, 

nothing pressing to do,

I sat

and stayed

with the discomfort.

I wept.

 I sobbed.

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Something exploded inside.

My heart broke

but it also awakened.

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Why did this happen?

How is this possible?

I DON'T UNDERSTAND!!!

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A British citizen living in the US,

I was not aware of the

long history

of police violence and brutality.

I set to work:

Read

Listen

Watch

Weep

Repeat

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The veil of systemic racism and

white privilege 

was finally falling from my eyes.

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Words from a Don McLean song running through my head:

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"Now I understand

What you tried to say to me

And how you suffered for your sanity

And how you tried to set them free

They would not listen

They did not know how 

Perhaps they'll listen now."

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And I wondered...

What would Van Gogh do?

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Over to YOU!

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How will you respond? ​​​

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