Poem by Adrian Ernesto Cepeda

Missouri Goddamn

Nina Simone is turning
over in her grave—
no longer a Midwest
Mind just like Mississippi,
Alabama, Tennessee
your state is stuck
rewinding back
to a Southern reality
mentality enslaved.
We know who is to blame
burning bible books, crosses
now you ignite the flames
seething inside after all
these crimes, it was time
this indictment for Mr. Brown
overdue. Lady Justice
never is blind, stop covering
your lies and ears
year after conjuring up
so much traditional fear;
refusing to hear
the whole truth
and nothing but—
Nina Simone could
never forgive—
the same old song
with new verses:
Missouri Goddamn,
our verdict is in—
The Guilty is you.

Adrian Ernesto Cepeda is an L.A. poet whose work appears in the new True Romance Poems collection, 1000 Tankas for Michael Brown, The Lake Poetry, Edgar Allen Poet Journal # 2, Fukushima Poetry Anthology, San Gabriel Valley Poetry Quarterly, Spilt Ink Poetry, Luna Luna Magazine’s Latino Poetry Project, Love Poetry Lovers, ZO Magazine, The Rain, Party, & Disaster Society and Men’s Heartbreak Anthology. In the soon to be released publications: Purrfect Poetry Anthology and Poetry in Motion’s collection Poems to Fuck to. He is currently enrolled in the MFA Graduate program at Antioch University in Los Angeles.

Rachel Copans is a Burgeoning poet and spoken word artist. The photo above is from the Indict America: Turn Up for Mike Brown! protest in Dudley Square Boston on November 25th as part of Black Lives Matter, where the protestors stopped by South Bay Prison. “Everyone loves this one that shows the protestors and the people in the jail in solidarity.”