Philadelphia

“Brotherly love” the name implies,

though history won’t attest

for once again we have to lay

an officer to rest

 

As neighbors pray with heavy hearts

for husbands, fathers gone

others in the brotherhood

bravely carry on

 

Too many good men taken down,

our city’s greatest shame;

when will Philadelphia

live up to her good name?

Author's Note

Last week, another Philadelphia police officer was killed in the line of duty. He was a husband and father of two boys. He was 30 years old.

Reviews

[Einstein Noodle]

thank you Rita!! so very much for this tribute and recognition of our courageous police officers who strap on their life every single day .. and sacrifice it, at times, for low life drug drunk punk a*s pissants of society .. i am so sick of attacks on police as a whole because of one or two that should not wear the badge .. on the scales of life in these United States .. those that oppose the law are just that ... lawless and criminal ... OK .. i do feel a bit better ... but truly ... having found no wrong doing in Ferguson this Attorney General seeks a take over the city police .. with no precedence ... and please tell me!!! who you gonna call??? when some villainous miscreant slams your door down???? is it AG Holder???? or 911 ... your city emergency response system??? please!! if you want to avoid police violence ... dont do the crime... and if you have a legit complaint .. dont resist..take it to court .. not the streets
E.
ps .. sorry to take your poem outside its intent .. but ..... well .... heavy sigh

[Rita L. Sev]

Your rant gives you a hint at what the good people in my city are feeling... and in so many places... As you know, E, poetry takes it's own intent in the heart of the Reader, and if my poems get one thinking, I am satisfied. More so will I be when there is justice and peace... Thank you.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

this is so tragic...a peace officer, and yet, where's the peace when events like this happen that make widows, or widowers, and motherless or fatherless children...
yes, too many good men and women taken down.
Brotherly love? just a phrase or is there something behind it.

[Rita L. Sev]

This has happened too many times over the past several years. It's truly disheartening...