Stop. Think

I run I scream I have visions of pain flash through my mind Visions of my blood flowing out of my body And onto my white T-Shirt Now stained with red Not a spot on my shirt is white anymore I fall to a heap on the ground I am no more My vison goes black I am floating now no longer in my body Wait I am now back to the present The vison is gone You point that black cold steel at me I turn and throw up my hands I say don’t shoot It’s clear I don’t have a weapon But you do Then time freezes Stop Think What do those two hands up in the air above my head mean? Stop Think Am I reaching into my jacket or are my hands up where you can see them? Stop Think Is anything in my hands? Stop Think Should you shoot or just come up and cuff me? Stop Think Is there a way to end this peacefully? Stop Think What will your actions bring? Stop Think Will there be riots, fights? Stop Think Look or predict the future What will your actions bring? Stop Think You hold in your hand cold steel You hold in your hand a killer You hold in your hand a decision A decision to shoot or hold your position You hold in your hand a life or a death What will you choose to hold? Will you choose death over life when there is no threat in sight? Stop Think Do you see your child standing there with their hands up? Or do you see someone of a different color than you? Stop Think Do you see a person or an ethnicity? Stop Think But you don’t Stop and Think You only shoot You shoot innocent people Ones who have done nothing wrong I was not there but there is no reason you should poison the air with that awful tear gas You poison the lungs of little ones You poison their minds with that gas Bam! Bam! Bam! There goes that blasted gun That blasted cold black steel Shooting Oh that awful noise That’s all they know The children only know that How will they trust you to keep them safe? When the ones you are protecting is no one You shoot at the ones you are to protect You shoot at someone who surrendered way before you started shooting Stop Think How do you want to be seen? As the enemy? Or as the Protector? As the fear? Or as the comfort? As the one who wears the uniform of the protectors? Or the dark black cloak of the Grim Reapers? Stop Think