I Cry, I Yell, I Die

I cry for help yet no one answers
Can't you see the tears in my eyes
If I wasn't a black man
Then would you see me cry?

I yell for my life, yet you ignore me
Can't you recognize my voice?
I'm complying with your commands
To ignore me is your choice

What will you tell my family?
When my death is a breath away?
How will you describe my last moments
As I took my last breath that day

As I cried with a loud voice
Because I could not breathe
You tortured me with commands
Ones I could not keep no matter the pleas

I continued to yell for relief
In order to breathe you see
Why did you choose me to abuse
Why wouldn't you just remove your knee?

May 25th, 2020 was my last day on earth
You take an oath to protect and to serve
A promise made and not kept in my case
My life mattered to family, friends, voices unheard

I Cry, I Yell, I Die even when I comply
You see as a black man, life is not the same
When encountered by the police
Without Videos, I'll always be the blame

Family, I'm sorry to leave you this way
Please tell my children I loved them so
Daddy had a date with destiny and had to go
I wish I could have watched them grow

We never know how our lives will end
Nor the way we will leave this earth
Just remember to love and forgive
What matter the most is what took place
Not only on our last day but from the day of birth

I Cried, I Yelled, I Died right there in the street
My life was taken by officers of the law
I was a child of God who cried, yelled, and died
While the policeman held me down with his knee
I Can't Breathe, I Can't Breathe, I Can't Breathe
George Floyd by name, I Cry, I Yell, I Die

(c)Jessie Y Leverette
May 28, 2020