Gratitude (for the witnesses)
I do not know how this could have been otherwise, but I know it could have been otherwise. A 91 year old women upon hearing the verdict in the George Floyd murder trial
He died. We just wanted to let you know,
except there were witnesses. What they saw,
they saw and had the presence of mind…..
They saw and did what they did for us, for all
of us, when they were on their way to do what
they were heading to do, their daily doings
in broad daylight except well... when they
saw what they saw, saw what they knew.
We didn’t, weren’t there, didn’t see;
didn’t know, but they brought it to us
using their voices in the awful wonder
of wondering. How was it reasonable?
They helped us to see and we saw what they
knew. We know because they knew they needed
to do and they did, yet apologized
for what they think are failings in stopping
the unstoppable when they knew what they knew
knowing right from wrong. They did not fail.
They did not fail us in bringing us there
and a family to peace. They succeeded
through their sense of sorrow, misgivings,
and grief. They saw and they spoke and they broke
through the thin, blue line, the thick ribbon
of racism. I thank you for your loving
presence, your kindnesses, and tender
mercies. I thank you for seeing and knowing
and coming forth to speak what must be spoken.