There were always men
Willing to do this—to carve up our cities
fire guns into occupied cars, brush the
whole brutal mess under one or another
rug—we just hadn’t given them names
yet or badges, inviting them from the
shadows into the light of our streets
and schools. But they were always here
—like vampires, capable of sleeping for
centuries and always ready to awaken
when the moment felt dark and right.