Poem #8 for the November Poem-A-Day challenge. Today’s prompt was to write a “slow down” or “speed up” poem. I watched the documentary Crips And Bloods: Made In America today, which starts by talking about the 1965 urban rebellion in Watts, Los Angeles. This poem is attempt to slow down one moment of the so-called riots.
Avalon
the brick leaves
the young man’s hand
arcs gracefully through
the air
the spotlight from the police car
catches it in flight
tumbling now
t u m b l i n g
there is all the
W t O i R m L e D
now the cop
rises from his crouch
head just above the door
of his patrol car
he sights down the barrel of his pistol
sees the black head of the enemy
draws in breath, pauses to steady
his aim
moves his index finger to the trigger
starts to squeeze
a corner of the brick hits him
just above his left eye
tears through skin, chips bone
one down
Watts burns
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