day TWELVE HUNDRED and TWENTY EIGHT

the minneapolis police department

third precinct is on fire

let it burn for the cops

let it burn down their brutality

let it burn for the racists

who hide behind their guns and god

let it burn up the false white innocence

let it burn into the blood-soaked soil

upon which this nation was founded

let it burn for the people

who care more about buildings than bodies

let it burn because black lives matter

let it burn for rapist, racist trump

tweeting out his hate

in his kremlin-bought office

let it burn for his national guard

let it burn for the whole trump crime family

let it burn the gop

let it burn and make america great

let it burn for George Floyd

let it burn for Ahmaud Arbery

let it burn for all of the black transgender women killed this year

let it burn because there’s too many names to mention

let it burn institutional racism

let it burn the patriarchy

let it burn like corporate media

playing putty into right wing hands

let it burn up your bootstraps

and your bullshit american dream

let it burn like rebellion

let it burn like a flag

let it burn like useless thoughts and prayers

let it burn into the ground

until there’s nothing

but dust and embers

and when they do this the next time

because they will

let it burn

let it burn once again.

--John Grochalski