"Now, I lay me down to sleep

Another poem to express my feelings. I know I get to let it all go when the news no longer desires to air it, and it isn't the trending topic anymore. I know I don't have to continue to suffer through the lost of losing someone dear to me. I do desire to use my voice as a tool to speak on what I see. My best weapon to use in a fight of injustice is my power of words, and these words have been locked up inside of me and I haven't used my platform given to me until now.

 

“Now, I lay me down to sleep.” By Matasha Lee

Now, I lay me down to sleep,

Oh, God, there is another murder on the street.

Your people are crying.

What do I say?

How can we change the direction that we are heading into today?

I know it ain’t all bad but the cameras are capturing the chaos and the aftermaths of the storm.

What’s a story without seeing something fallen,

Even if it is another young man or woman falling to the hands of a small piece of lead that has destroyed so many.

Lord, I’m tired and I need your help.

I don’t want to get to the point where I become numb to my brother’s pain and write him off as another one.

I want to feel for him, speak for him, and cry the tears that he couldn’t shed.

Lord, I need an answer because the answers that are out there are confusing and there is so much noise that the words people are saying aren’t fueling and I keep seeing someone post that we have to stop this but they fail to see that we must stop it all.

Yes, not only must the cops put their weapons down, but the gangs and corrupted ones must do the same. They must get to a point where they come to one another and have a conversation with each other, or the war will never end, and we will keep fighting and picking up signs to picket without changing a thing. So many officials will keep attending funerals quoting the same thing, adding to the list of the slang, while we get to turn the channel when it is all said and done. We no longer have to weep, our job is done. We no longer have to criticize those who have to continue to mourn. We can move on with our lives until it is another one, and then they will ask the families to please make the crowd to quiet down, get on the mic and ask for peace while tears drip down their face knowing their bodies will rock with pain and in the morning when they call their love ones name because they really thought it was just a dream, and he or she won’t answer because he or she was slang, and peace will not come knocking at the door, and that child will not see his or her parent again, and that wife won’t ever hug her husband again, and the pain, oh, the pain will never end, and because of his or her death, they are looting and rioting again, and they have to be added to one of the families that should have done a better job at raising their kids, even if you done your best to teach, they will still blame you, will someone preach and tell the truth, it’s sad that all we desire is to make each other blue, not caring if I fellow brother or sister ever receive peace, as long as they dismiss themselves from the anger boiling in the street.

All the families are not angry for what the police done, they desire for everyone to just get along, as they hold the picture of their love one in their arm. Yes, that is exactly what they desire peace, but peace was taken away when the streets no longer could call their babies name and they no longer walked the face of the earth, and the money that was saved for college is now paying for a funeral. How in the world can one have peace when no one is dare saying I’m sorry when they air the enemy’s quotes on national TV that they would be willing to do it again, getting paid to be interviewed with falsified scratches that heals in a day, while bullet holes ring through another person’s body. Oh, please, give these families some peace. Let them know what it feels like to hold their love ones again. Help them to understand why they have to endure so much pain. Help them to understand why they scrutinize their child’s name. Oh, please, send them some peace.

Father, God, I call out to thee, no other help I know, I know you are weeping for your children while you continue to love us so. We need you like never before. Shower down your love upon our heads as we bathe in your love and grace. Keep us under your wings of mercy as we camp under your bosom hiding away from the tragedies that we have to face. I know it isn’t my business to intervene but when you taught me to love, you just didn’t tell me to love you, but everybody. At first, I couldn’t possibly understand, why love someone who doesn’t love me, but you showed me differently and I must do the same, so I’m calling out to you, Oh, God, I am calling out your name, Jehovah Jireh, my provider, Jehovah Nissi, Lord, you reign in victory, Lord, we need you and we can’t make it without you. We need you right now, as Smokie Norful would say. We need you to guide us, right now, Lord, protect our very beings, in the midst of the crowd I seen them attempt to hold each other’s hand, Lord, allow one of your innocents to touch the armor man, and maybe, just maybe he will hug that child and tell him or her everything will be okay that trouble may last through the night, but joy will arrive in the morning and he or she will feel that child’s embrace, and will help them to change the way they are viewing the world.

We are not your enemy, we carry the same blood as you, We need you, just as much as you need us. We appreciate that you keep the streets rid of those who try to harm us, but that criminal or not, deserves due justice, so wear your badge with pride, and send their asses off to jail, don’t take matters into your own hands, and send them off to their grave, don’t abuse people while others have to stop pleading and begging for you to stop shooting, and still hoping to get out of your way before you shoot them down today. Oh, Lord, we pray,

Amen!