Seeds were sown early and re-sown
each generation at the first sign of
spring
trouble
tender sprouts
break ground
nurture
metal barricades
delineate perimeter
police
grievances
crowded perennials
gently repotted
shoots
opposite sides
block the street
peaceful protest
end police brutality
take root
planters suspended
from the brownstone’s
street-side ornamental
black rail boundaries
black lives
in protected territory
sentinels in riot gear
with automatic weapons
pace ready aim
choose
flowers
stand tall
pick
unbending
chant
fights
defiant
I can’t breathe in the fragrance of sweet alyssum
proud petunias
rise
firmly rooted
die
face to face
with raised fists
cities choke
no justice no peace
there comes a time
when
beauty speaks loudly
no racism
in the garden
silence is betrayal
its taproot screams
in the sunlight
one neighbor
stops
raises a hand
to her heart
beams a smile
flower-filled
and says
beauty doesn’t lie
black beauty shines
cultivate truth
