“The brutality doesn’t stop with the arrest” 2 poems by Eric King

#1

Police Brutality is state brutality,
it’s the media calling a protest “violent”
after pigs fired weapons and toxins,
into crowds of people exercising their “rights”.

If the knee hadn’t strangled George,
the “justice “system would have.
He would have been arrested
for trying to exchange non sanctioned paper
placed into federal custody.
He would have waited months
before being sent to federal prison
stripped of his “rights”, dignity, family contact ….for YEARS.

Police brutality is more than guns and sprays,
it is scanning every single piece of Mail you receive.
Its preventing you from speaking to your mom, post-surgery.
It’s convincing you that  YOU’RE the reason
for how THEY TREAT YOU.
It’s the longing for your partner’s touch,
while knowing,
your captives make six figures
to hold you in a fucking box

#2

Police brutality is state normalcy.
It’s knowing that protests are popping off
not 5 minutes away
and the only thing stopping you from joining them
is 5 janky doors

It’s the sadness,
thinking that those in the streets,
overlooked the fact that we in here,
suffering the existence of police brutality
mentally, physically, existentially
EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAY

It’s the indoctrination,
being taught
that we deserve this,
and there is no way out
except through their rules
and the goodness of their hearts.

That the days of Bill Dunne, Assata are over,
picket signs don’t bend steel.

Police normality,
is convincing us
that those arrested
deserve their treatment.

Those five doors may as well be 500