The Eritrean

Haftom Zarhum, an Eritrean,
asylum seeker, and human being,
was crawling on the floor, as bullets flew.
Haftum was following the rules laid down
for outsiders in a strangers’ country.
But all the wide white world knows a black man
is guilty. Security tapes caught him
on all fours, unarmed, and caught the soldier
who ran in there and shot the first bad guy
he saw. But now the trial. A Jewish mob
hurled a bus bench on Haftom’s head, kicked out
against the face of the prostrate other.
They killed Haftom Zarhum. And more besides
the Eritrean died there, blow by blow.