V. H. King's Ink

I know myself best in conflict: set up
in opposition to these truths
of falsified evidence in this farce
called justice. we the people remain
righteous despite these darts and arrows—

for in the land of milk and honey
they speak with barbed words and forked
tongues, praising police brutality and state
violence, denying dignity and forcing complicity.

so give us this day our near-misses
and narrow escapes, that by every small
joy and landslide victory we embody
unending anthems of resistance.