Red

• Famke Mccallum, Grade 9
• Poetry
• 2021

‘ Red looks good on you’ my husband said
I was dressed in a stunning dress, the night he was left for dead
They ganged up on us on a street corner, spat out words like ‘dirty’ and ‘foreigner’
Their leader pulled out his gun and curved his lips into a smile
In that moment the night went cold, a bullet entered my husband’s heart of gold
The air left his lungs, the colour left his face
My head turned back crying out for the one I can’t replace
Stolen of his life because of the colour of his skin
The reality of it all began to sink in, the cruelty, the injustice
Where’s the community who said ‘trust us’
The same community who advocates for change, politicians fighting for the cause
Only to paint their reputation gold, demand a louder applause
As the last breath escaped his lungs and the blood stained his shirt
The empty political promises decompose in the dirt
As the light left my husband’s eyes, the murderer walked up and laughed ‘You know what sir?’
‘Red looks good on you’