No justice no peace

the drums start off slowly then grow faster

not loud persistent then a chant

peace, peace, we want peace

no justice no peace

this is meant to sound hopeful and full of love

and yet comes off as a threat

the naïve people in all such movements

have in the belief they are pure

when all else is not

that they seek peace when

they are actually at war

emboldened by those who speak

with forked tongues

when love doesn't counter hate

if it imitates hate

when justice this is justice

imposed on others,

these people imposing their view

on someone else

innocents who are not innocent

the passive who like the werewolf at night

turned rabid in the wrong phase of moon.

no justice no peace

the drumbeat goes on

I am struck by the fact

that they have a token white man

with dreadlocks doing the drumming too

as if this somehow is inclusive

when the real movement

won't ever include him

or the Democratic mayor

who sits up in front

and smiles and nods and applauds

as if he is fully cognizant of what is going on

when there is shooting in the background

and people being murdered

in the name of justice and peace

no justice no peace no justice no peace

what the piece they mean comes

with a full clip of ammunition

and an itchy trigger finger

full of rage that is not completely justified by history

only by media reports and perpetual mythmaking

the gradual rewriting of history that is not history

into a history and not what really happened

no justice no peace no justice

 the drumbeat goes on and on and on and so do the bullets