COVID RIOTS
It is Monday
June 1, 2020
3:45 pm
All inmates
To the basement
Mandatory meeting
George Floyd
Black Lives Matter
Protests
Violence
The news
The world
To prevent resemblance
Similarities
To stop the influence
Of the world
On us
In prison
The Federal Bureau Of Prisons
Shutting down
All communications
Our access
To the street
No more phone
No more e-mails
Until further notice
Taking effect
Starting 4pm
This very day
15 minutes from now
The chaos
The rush
The urgency
The tension
Everybody
At once
To the phones
To the computers
To send notification
Give our loved ones
This news
Suddenly
There is blood
Lots of blood
His head split open
As he steps out
Into the hall
One room down from mine
Correctional Officers
Captain of Security
Even the Warden
Quickly on the scene
This one
To the hospital
As for the rest
To your rooms
Body checks
Every one
This
Really happening
Here
Yankton, South Dakota
Prison Camp
I am stunned
I know this man
We had met before
Des Moines, Iowa
We had history
Impulsively
Auto pilot takes over
Boots on
Laces tight
Sharpened pencil in hand
It is starting
Right here
Right now
Starting
But
It isn’t
A random act of violence
Between 2 roommates
Both white in color
Unrelated to the topic of the day
Thursday
June 4, 2020
No related altercations
Phones are back on
Friday
June 5, 2020
E-mails are back on, too
I exhale
I am getting too old for this shit
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