by Rémy Dambron
they said this man was just like them we said he doesn’t feel the same
they said he said that’s just fake news we said this is a dangerous game
they said he’s making us great again while we witnessed his power abuses
they diminished and deflected delivering his excuses
we called this pattern treacherous nefarious hateful nasty
they called him biblical
patriotic bold and crafty
we said he’s promoting violence
they said he doesn’t mean it
we showed them clips of footage
they said we just don’t see it
we said hands up don’t shoot
black lives matter me too
they said shut up and dribble
all lives matter back the blue
we plead for justice
but just us took a knee
so they beat us up with shields batons and false decrees
we said we have our rights
they said well not today
we said these were our streets
so they gassed us all away
we protested peacefully
get your knees off our neck
they called us anarchists
then wrote themselves some checks
we turned out in record
to win the election
they claimed there was fraud
pledged their objections
we agreed to a recount
they cried stop the steal
maskless they rallied
refusing to heal
they threatened more violence despite our constitution
we said he’s propagating
they called it lib delusion
then hundreds and hundreds
with his flags and motifs
assailed the steps
of our nation’s top chiefs
we cried this is madness
the building’s not secured
they said our take-back has begun and we will not be deterred
we said look at the police
they’re like ushers in disguise
allowing them to enter
with insurgency supplies
we saw gates open wide
with a skirmish or two
then a lonely black cop
with just a stick and film crew
never drawing his firearm
just clutching his baton
yelling and retreating
his leverage too far gone
they paraded their faces
took selfies and stole files
besieged and disgraced
our nations state house defiled
they were released without consequence
set free without question
acquitted of their felonies
at forty fives direction
we watched in horror for hours
what we had known would come true
his fascist america
executing their coup
Rémy Dambron is an English teacher, proud husband, and activist whose poetry focuses primarily on advocating for social justice and denouncing political corruption. His work has been featured on What Rough Beast, Writer’s Resist, Poets Reading the News, and The New Verse News.