Wake to Every Morning
The day of feasting follows months of agony.
We have been here before
In a snapshot of history
Simply because
The rule of the law
Has been made a travesty again.
In the eyes of youth around the world
Lack of representation forces the hand
Of the oppressed.
In the long aftermath of colonization
Intergenerational pathology
Sears the soft whimpering of humid Missouri streets
Gone cold by conflict,
Thickened by diversified testimony
In Ferguson.
When the flames catch inside neighborhoods
A woman cries because her store has been mercilessly torched
While the nation gorges on harvested bounty
Needless chaotic retaliation for the killing.
Some syrupy good ol’ boys ignore
Centuries of low paid workers.
Keep on, keep on, keep on,
Wake to every morning
Intent upon change.
Leaders, where have you gone?
The true speakers, labeled “protestors”
Replace apathy with fervor, don’t turn away.
Those who walk the pavement are the new spiritual force
Eons beyond mere words written in ivory castles
Or by isolated people tapping keyboards
Spewing doubt.
The phrases once used are yesterday’s news.
The point of tipping has disappeared into the future,
You are here now.
This is the future.
Stay strong, keep moving,
Keep talking.
The ancestors
Hear you calling out
In the deep night of reflection.
Wake to every morning.
Journal prompt: Have you been paying attention to the incident at Ferguson, Missouri, USA? What are your views? Do you feel the grand jury rejecting an indictment is a good decision?
Copyright 2014 by Susan E. Rowland, all rights reserved
Photo above: Jesse in a moment of reflection while carving
Treat Yourself to a Journaling Adventure 
Prose can’t express the Ferguson travesty. “In the long aftermath of colonization Intergenerational pathology Sears the soft whimpering of humid Missouri streets Gone cold by conflict Thickened by diversified testimony In Ferguson.” This could be an epitaph. I hope it is a wake up epiphany. Thanks for your poetry.
Thank you, my friend Viva.I thought I was done with the incident until I watched the interview with Michael’s parents, and observed the reaction by so many. Who hasn’t had a teenager who did “dumb” things? So much bothers me. They didn’t contact Michael’s parents right away. Why? The response by law enforcement (and I do support LE fully), was not impressive. I think that a dialogue could have, and should have taken place instead of a confrontation. Walking in the street is not grounds for murder. If DW had calmed down a little, he could have taken MB in for questioning about the convenience store incident. He could have picked him up later. I feel for today’s youth. Too much pressure, not enough opportunities, and we are faced with education cuts, lack of jobs, and so forth. Here’s to a better future.