Summer 2020 Archive
Poetry
Seeing Oscar Grant at the Movie Theater
By Jamal Michel
Your son, like mine, was unarmed at the time he was killed by a law enforcement officer. No words can ever assuage the pain we feel as parents
when our precious children are taken away from us in such a violent, senseless manner.
-Wanda Johnson, Grant’s mother
His daughter was old enough to walk by his side
and not atop his shoulders, but he wrapped his arm
around her like he did her mother
It was their date night
She pointed to the poster next to them,
the one with jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie
and he proceeded to fashion his own trombone
from thin air, her face reddened, and he
ever the star
ever the show
did a number, while no one watched
She raised her phone to capture him still
and he smiled wide, like in all his photos,
his laugh lines worn down further with each grin
And he paid for the soda
And she paid for a candy bar
His phone rang before they made it to their theater
and I heard, just as he passed me, him in a low and assured voice
whisper to the receiving end of the single
most important call in the world, say
yes, love
I’ll tell you all about it
at home
By Jamal Michel
Your son, like mine, was unarmed at the time he was killed by a law enforcement officer. No words can ever assuage the pain we feel as parents
when our precious children are taken away from us in such a violent, senseless manner.
-Wanda Johnson, Grant’s mother
His daughter was old enough to walk by his side
and not atop his shoulders, but he wrapped his arm
around her like he did her mother
It was their date night
She pointed to the poster next to them,
the one with jazz trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie
and he proceeded to fashion his own trombone
from thin air, her face reddened, and he
ever the star
ever the show
did a number, while no one watched
She raised her phone to capture him still
and he smiled wide, like in all his photos,
his laugh lines worn down further with each grin
And he paid for the soda
And she paid for a candy bar
His phone rang before they made it to their theater
and I heard, just as he passed me, him in a low and assured voice
whisper to the receiving end of the single
most important call in the world, say
yes, love
I’ll tell you all about it
at home
