Analysis of Shades of Injustice



Upstretched hands pressed to graffitied wall,
Legs outspread, face afire with angry shame;
Strange hands roam over impeccant body
Presumptive guilt in denim jeans unfound

On a boy whose skin is the color black.

From youthful mouth explodes epithets foul
As his fragile skull cracks against scorched brick.
Crimson flow staining bleached cotton once pure;
The pernicious waltz of power rampant

And a teen whose skin is the color black.

Chrome plated shackles locking arms behind,
Spun then around to face his tormentors.
Tin shields, pinned to azure shirts, represent
Usurped authority to roughly abuse

Those for whom their skin is the color black.

Radios squawk, the teen briefly ignored,
While lazulines await vindication
For breaching protections of the Fourth.
With none forthcoming, jack-boots come crashing

On a face whose skin is the color black.

Behind grey steel bars his doom decided
Accused of assaulting men of sapphire.
Star Chamber court proceeds at finding guilt
Of an American whose fate is being

A person whose skin is the color black.


Scheme XXAA B XXXX B XXXX B XXXC B XXXC B
Poetic Form
Metre 111111 111011101 11110110 010101011 1011110101 110101101 1110110111 1011011011 0010111010 0011110101 1101010101 110111110 111110101 1010011001 1111110101 101011001 11010010 110010101 1111011110 1011110101 011111110 01101011100 1101011101 11010011110 0101110101
Closest metre Iambic pentameter
Characters 1,060
Words 192
Sentences 9
Stanzas 10
Stanza Lengths 4, 1, 4, 1, 4, 1, 4, 1, 4, 1
Lines Amount 25
Letters per line (avg) 34
Words per line (avg) 7
Letters per stanza (avg) 86
Words per stanza (avg) 17

About this poem

Written in 2018, I have been hesitant to share this poem with the world. I wonder how it will be received being written by an old white dude which is the most unpopular thing to be in America today. But, in the end, I have decided that the message is more important than the writer, so here it is for all to critique. Let the arrows be slung.

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Written on 2018

Submitted by Nebula7693 on March 23, 2024

57 sec read
17

Robert Rowe

 · 1967 · Agana, Guam

Robert was born. He lives today. Some tomorrow he will die. His impact on history will be forgotten the day after his funeral. more…

All Robert Rowe poems | Robert Rowe Books

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