“Our state mourns another life
of a black man taken by law enforcement,”
said the Governor of Minnesota. 

Brooklyn Center, a suburb
of Minneapolis.  Minneapolis,
not a bridge 

but a city of sighs.
“the sun don’t shine”
“the moon don’t move

the tides” in Trower’s time,
nor in yours, nor in mine.
Interrogations 

Doge’s Palace, the crossing
to Prigioni Nuove, marked
an ending 

to summary executions.
but summary executions
pervade crossings  

walked by black men.
blood flows in the crossings
blood flows in the rivers

blood flows in the streets
crossed by black men
crossed by black women

and after anguished cries
we bury our summarily murdered
and bearing a heavy melancholy, 

We Sigh

Jerry T Johnson is a Poet and Spoken Word Artist whose poetry has appeared in a variety of literary publications worldwide. His poetry collection “Poets Should Not Write About Politics” was selected winner of Evening Press’ 2020 Sinclair Poetry prize and his poem “The Apology was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2021.