In our hoods
Bad dudes
Hide behind badges
Bad dudes follow my
13 year old baby when he rides his skateboard
Two blocks from our apartment
To buy candy from the gas station
At 10 am
On a Saturday
Bad dudes
Pull men over
For nothing
Rob them of the cash in their pockets
And send them on their way
Angry and grateful to be alive
In our hoods
Bad dudes tail you
Till your hands sweat
Till you fear
Till you forget to signal
Right
Then they have the right
To flash blue lights
and you’ll swing in your cell
In our hoods
Red white and blue
Doesn’t mean freedom
It means
You disappear in a warehouse
On the west side of Chicago
And a gun is put down your throat
And your testicles are tasered
And your face is maced
And your family is threatened
Till you confess to crimes you didn’t commit
And you go to 26th and Cali
If you are lucky
If not
You just disappear
Bad dudes pull you over
Shoot you when your hands are up
Because your car stalled
Because you are a child with a toy gun
Bad dudes burst into homes
Kill women
Shoot 5 year old babies
To serve a bench warrant
In my hoods
In my barrios
Bad dudes often wear blue
Leslé Honoré is a Blaxican Poet, Mother, Freedom Fighter and Spirit Writer. She believes HBCUs, Tacos and Gumbo without kale can save the world. You can follow her on Facebook @Leslé Honoré and on Twitter @Lesle_honore.