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To be honest… Bystander

By Kimelia Carter

"To be honest

I’m a mess

He was right there

I was so close to stopping it

But I did nothing

To be honest

I’m ashamed

I should have done something

screamed at them to stop

But my words would have fallen on ears

As dead as his body

To be honest

I’m a coward

Because even though

Every cell in my body was

Pushing me to move

My fear was that with one

Shot I would never be able to

Again

Then it would be my name on

As the next hashtag

It would be my face on shirts

It would be my kids unable to see

Their daddy any more

Shit! I can’t take this anymore!

To be honest

I still see his face at night

I hear his words as I let my mind wonder

I see his blood in the streets

I hear him saying I can’t breathe!

Please someone stop this

Take these memories from

Me!

To be honest

I’m breaking

Apart

Into

A

Frag-

ment

Of

me

Because that man looked like me

I often find myself wishing

I was white in that moment

Because I could have saved him

He would have had one more day

To see the people, he loved

I often wonder, what he would have gotten the chance to say

To be honest

I wish it was me

I could have taken his place

Because no one should have

Face what he faced

It should have been me

I often pray

Because seeing his death, kills me

To this day

I anguish over my complacency

Because

To be honest

I just wish he didn’t have to depend on me."

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