Photo credit: Baltimore-based photographer, Devin Allen
in baltimore
if you’re black
they’ll just
sprinkle some crack on you
and call it a day
call it legal
call it justice
and call an arrest
and then
when they’re taking
your black ass in
to the county jail
they’ll call the media
call the press
call the newspapers
so they can
call you crazy
call you guilty
and call you ghetto
what they won’t do
is call you a minor
call your parents
call the community
so we can call you innocent
and call for your
release
nah
the police won’t do that
in baltimore
if you’re black
they’ll just
sprinkle some crack on you
and call it a day
a full day’s pay
and tomorrow?
on to somebody else’s
child
and they’ll be calling it
good police
work
• First of four poems in honour of Black History month (February 2020)