A Monument of A Man, Remembered
Tattered orange leaves littered the gravestone’s connected curves
“Here lies Officer Robinson Maslow, he died in the name of Protect & Serve”
Every second blurred when reminiscing what happened that night
Once he got wind of the bank robbery, he didn’t expect a shotgun blast to his pipe
He died in the line of duty, so some petty criminals could cash in a heist
Bayonets high, columns of halogen lights honoring a casket with stripes
Of red, white and blue; colorful symbols for greater pastures despite
Death… indeed, there are too many snakes in the grass…and basilisks bite
I’ve had it with psych examinations and words of consolation? No better
Robinson was my partner, my main man, we were both incarcerated together
Back when we were teenagers we got hit for graffiti charges
We tagged so many trains, eventually we didn't proceed with caution
Acrylic cans in hand, we always had a plan, saw eye to eye regardless
Years later, we got into law enforcement, joined the SWAT department
And slowly started encountering people who believed all cops were corpses
I remember those high speed chases we’d watch during helicopter courses
His wife is gorgeous… his kids are too, both sly with the paintbrush
Maybe some day I’ll teach them how to streak red on the side of the A-bus
Probably not, after all, I’m a badge wearer myself. I’ll have to compromise
but in the name of preserving his memory, I won't care if I’m ostracized
I gathered all the old spray cans I could find in the basement
Bought a hundred or so bricks, some cement and an electric saw to shave it
The first thought that crossed my mind was that I didn’t want the head of Zeus
because Robinson was more human than that; his expression had to capture youth
I envisioned a brick mural about the size of Stonehenge’s block
Designed with signature tags in lime green & patterns of chalk
like the fabric on a paladin’s frock and emerald chunks of adamant rock
Robinson looked similar to a young Lennox Lewis, average yet taut
It was to be a monument for sacrifice - vogue yet powerful
The artistic commemoration of a man who was most invaluable
The vandal you’ve always been at heart will be eternalized
Then maybe my head will be next to lie beside yours when it’s my turn to die
Robinson’s partner inserted the last brick into the completed mural
Filling a space in his friend’s forehead - added streaks of deep brown & purple
One brick is all it takes. He reflected on life and its purposes
“Graffiti is beautiful…“ he said, as he stepped back & admired his workmanship
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