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A silhouette, not quite human
Treated, like an animal
A shadow, not a man
Nothing to stop the bloodshed, not bible or quran
Sirens wail, the shadows do the same
Shots ring out, a man fills an urn
Black tears, fall like water
Black lives matter, or not, lambs to a slaughter
A bell is rung, the end, or is it?
When, when will it end…
[The above is in response to the writing prompt that follows my further comments below]
Those who have followed my creative writing and responses to writing prompts will realize the above is a drastic departure for me. I felt this prompt required something different; something that stretched my limits, and poetry is clearly not my normal literary form. Whether I succeeded or not is less important as the stretching exercise itself, though I hope too that readers can see a deeper meaning despite my limitations in expression.
[The full prompt: Write a 100 word or less story or poem about the following theme: Black Tears. Include one or more of the following words: narcissus, tar, shadow, urn, silhouette, bell or cookie. And extra points to anyone who uses all seven words.]
Photo from this page.
David J. Kent is a science traveler and the author of Lincoln: The Man Who Saved America, in Barnes and Noble stores now. His previous books include Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity (2013) and Edison: The Inventor of the Modern World (2016) and two e-books: Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time and Abraham Lincoln and Nikola Tesla: Connected by Fate.
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Hot White Snow 
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This is a nice piece. I am curious as to your selection in the photograph, assuming you understand the significance of the tear tattoos?
Laurie
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My understanding is that it can have varied meanings personal to the wearer, though generally related to death or time in prison. For my piece the photo has broader meaning, including the overall discrimination against African-Americans and the prevalence of death and despair among some communities. It was inspired by a Black Lives Matter incident.
I’m glad you liked it.
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I did like it. I think I also took the meaning as you intended. Lives matter. My current topic seems to be heroin addicts and the lives of those around them. – Have a good day.
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Have a good day yourself. Keep on writing!
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Thank you
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This is good and way to stretch yourself with your writing. It says a lot in a few stanzas and causes me to think of the difficulty black lives experience. My future daughter-in-law is teaching me a lot about it as we walk the road of me learning where prejudice exists as she and others around her see it. it’s been quite a learning experience for me.
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It’s clear that a lot of us have a lot of learning to do, and introspection. I’m glad you liked the piece.
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