a young man stood
he said he spoke as
a child — speaking in
a room filled w/women
who had lost children
a child stood to speak
as a son in a room filled
w/mothers who had lost sons
he spoke as a grandson
in a room where Mamie Till’s
testimony still stained
the air he spoke of life
in a room w/ Oscar Grant’s
Mother and Grandmother about
how in our lives women fill
rooms to look after children
husbands and fathers who
are missing. women walking
wounded by a system thats
eaten their men. buried
them living in decaying schools
commercial prisions/ acres of graves
in this room full of women
this grandson son stood
and said he represented
the missing men in
support of crying
women and I say
many praises on his
head standing here
amongst us living
as we weep
over the dead.