*Poetry Reading* Flag Burning: A Poem by Rodney Russ

FLAG BURNING

A Poem By Rodney Russ

They killed him
For shitting on that flag
I saw them do it
He came out of the house
Put that flag meticulously on the grass
Pulled down his britches
and took a shit.
I went to call his grandmother at work
Next thing I know
The cops done showed up
We heard a shot
And he dead
Laying there with a bullet in his brain
They knew that boy wasn't right.
Ever since he came home from the war
Maybe now the government will do something for these children
I knew that child his whole life.
He was my neighbor
A nice sweet boy
Use to come over and open my pickle jars
Would mow my lawn for free
His grandma was so proud
When he joined the military
Went in there for college money.
Wanted to be an animal doctor
He wasn't no danger to no one.
Cops claimed he had a gun
I know they planted that shit
I feel rainy days for his grandmother
She just lost his mother years back.

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Entertainment

Tags:

• poems
• Rodney Russ
• African American poetry
• literature
• flag burning