THE EVOLUTION OF THE TALK or THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILL
(for Stephon Clark’s grandmother)

shave your face. a haircut
even. kiss your kids. your
partner. your parents. tell
them you listened. you kissed
their asses like you were
taught. kissed their asses and
still. walk. or run. don’t
matter. glue your identification
to your forehead. wrap yourself
in the flag. hide your slang
under your tongue. delete
your profile. scrub
the net. clean your blood. prepare
your body for peepholes
no one will ever peer into.