MURIEL VIEUX

"The Talk"

____________________

We have the talk

False sense of security

Placebo wording

Steeped in faith

Might save some of us

Will never save most of us

We have different talks

On one single subject

How to stay alive

How to survive

An encounter

With the police

Each age has its own talk

Each situation has its particularities

Refresher courses mandatory

After each incident

After each funeral

We review, adjust and edit

It isn’t only about keeping safe

It’s a security blanket,

A soothing mechanism

An illusion of control

A mantra for our minds

So we don’t lose our minds

It’s also our training

Training on de-escalation

Training on self-control

Training on communication

Training on hostage negotiation

Training on life saving tricks

But despite all out talks

We still too often end up

With a bullet in our back

With a knee on our neck

With an arm choking us

Ultimately in the ground

February 11th, 2023

#TheAmericanHaitianPoet

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