She Shot Daunte — A Poem by Christopher D. Sims

She shot Daunte.
A veteran of the
Brooklyn Center, MN
police department
Made a young Black
man her target. She
drew her firearm;
Daunte was fatality
harmed.

A community burns
At the same time as
the trial to bring justice
to George Floyd’s family
takes place!

It is always about race!

It is always fear of the
Black face!

A cop shoots in haste
Not considering his
humanity! She pulled
the trigger, she shot
Daunte, it’s insanity!

Dangerously, we drive
Often we do not survive —
Black people in the
United States, it’s lethal,
it is to our demise.

She shot Daunte. She
shot the possibility
of peace. She shot
Black people’s ability
to ever trust the police.

She shot the people,
she shot all of the
work that has been
done up to this point.

She shot plans for
housing justice,
plans for economic
equity, food justice,
and immigrant’s rights
legislation; she shot
the opportunity for
this nation to be a
more perfect union.

She shot marchers,
protestors, organizers,
and activists who are
simply tired of this shit!

She shot any progress
that has been made
in Minneapolis at this
time.

Why did another Black
man have to die?

She shot Daunte and
now we all mourn.

Increasingly, from
futures in this country,
Black youth are torn
and torn.

She shot Daunte.

Copyright Christopher D. Sims
2021