I sat on my porch as the day waned
Surrounded by quiet and serenity
The air was calm with just a hint of coming chill
Crickets sang a continual chorus punctuated by the flutter of a hummingbird’s wings
Lavender permeated my senses, released into the night air by the receding heat
I sipped my wine and paused in my writing
Watched the occasional passerby
Noticed the light slip from the sky
Waves of peace cascaded over me
I settled deeper into the tranquility
The air grew cool
I zipped my jacket and pulled the hood over my head
My own actions jarred me from my placid reverie.
The magnitude of my ability to sit in safety
Wearing such a garment
In a flash, I imagine people seeing me in the shadows of my own doorway
Feel the wash of accusatory glares at my hooded figure
Misinterpreting my presence as nefarious
The very idea of being at risk, for such a simple thing as keeping warm
Washes over me and chills me to the bone
Suddenly, I hear sirens in the distance
I wonder, who it is this time
Harmed in the name of self-righteousness
Wrongfully accused fellow humans
Condemned simply for their having been born with darker skin
I sit, in safety in front of my home
Where others must be constantly vigilant.
I sit, feeling the concentric waves of my privilege
Knowing even my brief dip into these waters cannot compare
Nothing can compare to a million lifetimes, wrongfully judged and convicted