So much filled with tension
Pain and disbelief
Then the moment comes
And we breathe sighs of relief
Not that there is victory
Or even bits of joy
But survival of a spirit
That hate cannot destroy
Perhaps we will be wiser
In future steps we take
Knowing we are all connected
By decisions that we make
This little bit of progress
May start the world to heal
And put us on a path of peace
As we share in what we feel
About The Poem Relief
Relief is an inspirational poem about recent events in 2021 with the Derek Chauvin trial. It could just as easily be about the Cuban Missile crisis. This is one of those times when something happened a certain way and prevented other things from happening. Maybe we’ve been locked up too long because of the pandemic, or perhaps this was the event that that brought a lot of things together, but this has created a huge amount of tension. In some ways this was about holding one person responsible, and at the same time holding the system responsible. There continues to be an us vs them narrative regarding people of color and the police. Some of it is true and some of it isn’t. But it’s hard to tell the difference when the volume gets turned up.
We may never know the exact factors that lead to George Floyd’s death. Was it racial bias, lack of training, arrogance, or simply stupidity. There’s a saying that if you hear hoofbeats, don’t assume zebras. People want to see zebras because they are exciting, but in this case it would have just made a bad situation worse. While it’s not really a happy ending, I would say it was the best possible outcome for two reasons. On the individual level, a person was held accountable for his actions. And on a systemic level, most police were in agreement with the prosecution that this should never have happened. It reinforces the concept that police are here to protect and serve.
Next Steps
There are still questions to be answered, and police are likely to be under the microscope for a while. It’s likely to mean some policy changes, and there will be a new normal in police policies. It’s a painful process, but we learn, and hopefully we get better. For now, we just can all breathe a sigh of relief.
Inspirational Poetry Books
Here are some of the books that are available from Robert Longley. I would recommend the Sacred Poem journals. Reading my earlier books (especially the ones for Military, Police and Firefighter’s families) cover to cover can be overwhelming. The poetry journals are designed to give you one poem per day while you journal about what might be going on in your life. There are specific journals for grief, success, and more.
Get inspirational poetry books by Robert Longley Here.
Inspirational Poetry Products
While I do signed poetry prints that are 11×14, that isn’t the size or product that all people want. Some just want a sympathy card, others may want a large canvas print, or maybe a coffee cup. There are limits to what I can customize with the options available so some products just don’t work. Please just ignore them, I know that that format doesn’t work. If you are looking for something specific, or would like to make something specific just let me know. I’m open to just about anything.
Get inspirational poetry products by Robert Longley here.
