Mary E. Weems, Ph.D.

Help! I’m afraid of po-lice.
I freeze when I see them on streets,
I say silent prayers,
I try not to stare
or be seen.
Last week my friend Jay
got stopped with her mama and sister,
cops walked up with guns
said car was not hers
then made them face down
in the dirt.
Her auntie said “Check my ID,”
but cops still handcuffed her and Jay,
while his little sister cried,
she thought they might die.
They never asked for car’s registration.
They never said “Sorry, mistake,”
now when Jay sees police,
her body right away
starts to quake.