You Shoot Us Down

You Shoot Us Down
© Surazeus
03 Dec 2014
Columbus, Georgia

While I was walking on a sunny day,
whistling happy that I am not yet dead,
I heard a cry echo across our land,
so I turned around and saw a black boy
shouting, "What are you following me for?"
Trayvon Martin was shot and bled to death.
I see people gathering town to town
and their cries of anguish ring in my head.
"You shoot us down because our skin is brown."
"You shoot us dead because our skin is red."

While I was editing maps at my job,
still hearing his cries of desperate fear,
I heard a cry echo across our land,
so I turned around and saw a black man
gasping as he struggled, "I cannot breathe."
Eric Garner was grabbed and choked to death.
I see people gathering town to town
and their cries of anguish ring in my head.
"You shoot us down because our skin is brown."
"You shoot us dead because our skin is red."

While I was walking with daughters and wife
by Chattahoochee River after noon,
I heard a cry echo across our land,
so I turned around and saw a black boy
who cried, "I don't have a gun. Stop shooting."
Michael Brown was shot down and bled to death.
I see people gathering town to town
and their cries of anguish ring in my head.
"You shoot us down because our skin is brown."
"You shoot us dead because our skin is red."

While I was strumming sad aching guitar,
wishing I was Anansi or Robin Hood,
I heard a cry echo across our land,
so I turned and joined ten million people
shouting, "Treat us with respect. We are human."
Who else will get shot down next and bleed to death?
I see people gathering town to town
and their cries of anguish ring in my head.
"You shoot us down because our skin is brown."
"You shoot us dead because our skin is red."