Jose Padua: Why I Can’t Stand to Watch the Game Anymore

Because I can’t
bear the sight of
these middle-aged men
declaring the next day
that the firing of six
bullets into an unarmed
black man was justified
or that the tasering
and death of a mentally ill
black woman was
simply unfortunate
when I’ve seen my white alcoholic
neighbor drunk out of her
mind while the cops
kept their distance
and waited patiently
for her to calm down.
And because they say it so
casually and matter-of-factly
that they might as well be
discussing how the quarterback
called an audible,
stepped back,
then threw the bomb
downfield
and hit his target,
ensuring a win
for coach,
for the home town,
and for those good old days,
and death to
any man, woman, or child
who stood in
the way.

—

Copyright 20015 Jose Padua

“Wall off Main” — Photograph by Jose Padua