Wednesday, June 10, 2009

for Dori

An off duty New York cop was
Killed by friendly fire here -
He was innocent, running after a thief
One brother shot by another brother.

I can't grasp the meaning of friendly fire.
There's just nothing friendly about
a bullet intentionally released through the air
Readying to kill.
Imagining animal stampedes.

His family and friends
Placing candles and flowers outside his home in Brooklyn.
A makeshift memorial blooming with tears.
A heartbreaking song filling dense air.

The flower petals drying out and falling from stems
Scattered along the concrete,
Still pungent in color
Tunneling in circles from the wind and
Eventually being chased down streets
The gusts making sounds like sirens
Only to find a lonely tree branch to settle into to rest.