leave the robot dogs
in the equipment yard
strip off the military gear
if you’re not SWAT
melt the tanks
into scrap metal
for infrastructure
treat Black and Brown people
just like White people
learn to take a deep breath
before drawing taser or pistol
and stop treating the poisonous apples
so quick to judge and execute
as if they should get
a Medal of Valor
for wearing a uniform
they don’t deserve
in New Mexico
on a Sony black and white TV
heard the news that Elvis Presley died
and on ABC late night, Bing Crosby eulogized
in a measured way, not speaking ill of someone he disdained
and about six weeks later, Bing finished his final round of golf
>
Elvis wasn’t present tense in certain people’s minds
since the ALOHA FROM HAWAII special in 1973
but I remember AM radio in Wichita Falls playing
his cover versions of Promised Land and Hurt
and thinking he still can sing
>
I picked up a paperback of ELVIS WHAT HAPPENED
from a drugstore book rack, glancing at certain pages
then deciding not to buy it
thinking it’s probably true but too soon to confront
>
about two months later, AM radio played Elvis singing My Way
and Elvis, approaching the end of his concert career,
prematurely performed his epitaph
>
stream that record or watch the YouTube video
to remember the promise,
the fulfillment and what remains today
