Poetry Report: Zimmerman Verdict

Poetry
Written By Scott Poole

“George Zimmerman drives home,
but his car dies”

Poetry Report 7.18.13.jpg

May peace be with the parents of Trayvon Martin.

+ + +

The Verdict


George Zimmerman is declared not guilty.
George Zimmerman drives home,
but his car dies.
George Zimmerman walks home
and when he arrives, his cat is dead,
rotting on top of the newspaper
with his face on the cover.
George Zimmerman is a free man
but he can't call anyone
because his cell battery has died.
George Zimmerman opens the refrigerator
to find the power went out
and his celebratory steak is purple
and is bleeding onto a brown salad.
George Zimmerman, hoping for a new day
thinks he should just go to bed
but his dog has died from loneliness
on top of the bed spread.

George Zimmerman can't sleep
so he goes for a walk,
all the street lights are burnt out,
a mean rain beats down,
so he wears a hood over his head
and meets himself in the street,
seemingly the only thing alive.
George Zimmerman is afraid.
George Zimmerman shoots George Zimmerman.
George Zimmerman is declared not guilty.
George Zimmerman drives home
but his car dies...

+ + +

 

Scott Poole

Scott Poole is the House Poet for Live Wire! Radio, a weekly public radio show taped in Portland, OR and broadcast throughout the country. He is the author of three books of poetry, The Cheap Seats, Hiding from Salesmen and, most recently, The Sliding Glass Door (2011, Colonus Publishing). He was also the founding director of Wordstock, the annual Portland, OR book festival.

Previous

Interview: Writer Robert Lashley
Next

Lady Jonathan Tells All, #11