Tessellation

Tessellation

I.

He shivered deep under the skin.

Every time he passed the tree,

the image of his brother dangling

       swinging in the wind like a fine diamond

         on a chain around a white woman’s neck

       buried and shifting in her cleavage,

crawled up his spine

and sat like the overseer on his horse

arrogant, cruel, entitled.

II.

Stiff and proud

they linked arms

and marched across the bridge

in their Sunday clothes,

courage and bravado a useless talisman.

No hangin’tree—

just water hoses and dogs and white men

on horses.

III.

Driving through town

Chillin’ to the music

Red light flashing

Driving while black

No men on horses

Just a ticket for being.

IV.

Black man on the street

in the dark

“resisting” arrest.

Shots fired.

Black man face down dead.

V.

Outrage anger fear

bubble out of the pavement

where they gather

then the looting

the rioting—

the men on horses

    --Katherine M. Searle

       Written as part of the U of I MOOC