A Moment of Silence: 'Just America'

I envision a Just America.

I envision cities that don't lock in

Black and brown people, and lock out justice.

I envision neighborhoods without blue-badge

patrols rounding up free labor.

I envision protectors making peace deposits.

I envision police opposing brutality

Once my enslaved ancestors dreamed of freedom,

once my elders dreamed of owning land,

once my people dreamed of voting,

so, I am working on my visions.

I let these thoughts gather

expand into full-fledge visions,

and let the visions grow and disperse

like the diaspora of my people —

like millions of monarch butterflies

like a migration, like a mighty movement.

the videos of Chauvin pressing

out George Floyd's lifeline ...

Overtake Breonna waking to die to police bullets,

overtake the long list of police killings:

Michael Brown, ashé; Eric Garner, ashé;

Overtake, overtake, overtake ... ashé, ashé, ashé ...

Wash over these inhumane structures,

with every step, uproot seeds of hatred,

with every march, cleanse the land of barriers,

with every tumbling stature, renew the soil for rebuilding.

Poet Angela Shannon is an associate professor of English at Bethel University. "A Moment of Silence" invites members of Minnesota's theatrical, musical, artistic and literary circles to reflect on this troubled summer. It can be found at blackmnvoices.com.