Brothers by Isaac Gordin

I looked to my left, I looked to my right

There wasn’t a single camera in sight

I decided to go and started to run

And then I saw a cop with a gun

He said to me, “You better freeze”

And so I fell down to my knees

“Billy you’re just a piece of shit,

When are you going to quit”

“As long as there is injustice in our town

I’ll still be fighting until I’m in the ground”

He took his baton and beat me across the face

But it doesn’t matter because of my race

The next week we went to the courthouse

The judge is a lion and I am a mouse

Justice is thrown to the wind

And the system keeps me pinned

Down to the ground with no help or aid

People say that they have given and prayed

But this has no effect on anyone’s life

Now back home my baby and wife

Will struggle everyday now that I’m in jail

Like a train falling off the rails

There are many stories like this one

Sometimes it’s a kid trying to have fun

And sometimes it is an innocent bystander

To stand up it takes great candor

But if we don’t try to protect each other

They could come for any of our brothers