I can’t breathe , I can’t breathe begging for a slight reprieve Knee to the neck, pressing down, back and chest locked to the ground His pleas fall on deaf ears but it’s heard loud and clear around the world There simply will be no escape, choking and gasping for the gift of air Eight minutes and 46 seconds murdered for all to see Mama, mama last words escapes the dying man’s lips No care, no thought as we watched humanity at its worst We felt the pain, we witnessed the torture, the callous act too hard to bear And in those eight minutes and 46 seconds, the legacy of racism sang loud and clear Raising it’s blood-stained hands for all to see and we wondered If the oppression, inequality, and hate will ever end… Cries for justice filled the air when the world heard his final plea A family that will forever grieve, a child never to see her father again George Floyd’s last breath became the match that started the fire A fire that burns brighter and stronger every day until justice is served Lift up your voice for justice, for the truth must be told Lift up your voice for justice, for the killing to stop Lift up your voice for justice to help the oppressed, the marginalized, the poor the homeless, the victimized Lift up your voice for justice for policies that can affect real change Lift up your voice for justice for all to hear that BLACK LIVES MATTER Lift up your voice for justice so we can build a better tomorrow for the next generation But most of all lift up your voice for George Floyd Who simply wanted to BREATHE ©joyparris 2020
