E, T & T play Videogames

Now I’m thinking of all those who 

never got to have many firsts.

 

Emmett & Trayvon & Tamir

boys so light with futures

so heavy with life

with smiles bright enough

to shine through the darkest nights,

who will never get their first old car,

first bad job, first love and first breakup.

Danez says, don’t imagine us dead,

Imagine us alive someplace better.

& so, I like to imagine them playing videogames 

at the public library downtown,

Emmett, not really understanding much at all,

Trayvon shows him the A button & press up to jump

over and over again, Tamir laughing so fearlessly, playing 

without a single thought holding him back. 

I imagine they’re waiting for their firsts, but also, 

they’re not. Also, they’re holding onto nothing 

but each other.

An American living in Scotland, I write poetry and book reviews. I'm really passionate about family histories & bramble berries. I'm also a francophile and used to live in France. Some poets I love are Tony Hoagland, Danez Smith, Martha Serpas, Fatimah Asghar, Franny Choi, & Kaveh Akbar.
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