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.