Sirens

when Philando Castile was shot

the intersection of Snelling and

Larpenteur became a zoo

cars slowed down

attracted to the strange carnage

we passed the intersection

on the way to church that evening

I wanted to look out

but at the same time felt it was

too risky to do so

it was like the Caution tape formed

some rocky coastline to which I

couldn’t come near and yet live

but it was when my friend

(a reckless white boy

from Virginia) got caught speeding

and sweet-talked his way out of a ticket

that I realized / we are drawn to them

but we cannot die / and when I turned

on the evening news and saw the standoff

on I-94 (with live coverage

from people who couldn’t die)

I was glued to the TV because I was praying

for the protesters as they drew closer

and closer to the jagged silhouettes of policemen