Given that Fox News host Brian Kilmeade just called for people who are unhoused or have mental-health diagnostic labels to be killed by way of involuntary lethal injection, I’m sharing two erasure poems that use the July 24 executive order as their source text. Nobody, including poets, seems to be aware of the existence of this horrific executive order. This is the second erasure.
Given that Fox News host Brian Kilmeade just called for people who are unhoused or have mental-health diagnostic labels to be killed by way of involuntary lethal injection, I’m sharing two erasure poems that use the July 24 executive order as their source text. Nobody, including poets, seems to be aware of the existence of this horrific executive order. This is the second erasure.
The first wound was in the right hand …………………..and occurred at the patrol car as confirmed by skin tissue found on the car. …………………………………..It was the only close wound.
The Body
The body weight is 289 pounds and the body length is 77 inches. The state of preservation is good in this unembalmed body. Rigor mortis is well developed.
The body is heavier than ideal weight base upon height //. Lividity is difficult to access due to natural skin pigmentation. There is no peripheral edema present.
Personal hygiene is good.
No unusual odor is detected as the body is examined. There is no abnormal skin pigmentation present. There is no external lymphadenopathy present //
The pupil of the left eye is round, regular, equal and dilated. The scleral and conjunctival surfaces of the left eye are unremarkable. The right eye cannot be accessed due to an acute traumatic injury (gunshot wound).
Gunshot Wounds
There is a gunshot entrance wound of the vertex of the scalp. There is a gunshot entrance wound of the central forehead. There is a gunshot exit wound of the right jaw.
There is a gunshot entrance wound of the upper right chest. There is a gunshot entrance wound of the lateral right chest. There is a gunshot entrance wound of the upper ventral right arm.
There is a gunshot exit wound of the upper dorsal right arm.
There is a gunshot entrance wound of the dorsal right forearm. There is a gunshot exit wound of the medial ventral right forearm. There is a tangential // gunshot wound of the right bicep.
There is a tangential // gunshot wound near the ventral surface of the right thumb. There is a gunshot related defect present near the right eyebrow //. There is a gunshot related defect present near the right eyelid //.
The Heart
The surface of the heart is smooth, ………………………….glistening and transparent.
Tissue Fragment
Sections of the tissue fragment from the “exterior surface of the police officer’s
motor vehicle” are consistent with a fragment of skin overlying soft // tissue.
There are features of desiccation/drying artifact present within the soft tissue.
There is a granular layer present within the upper layer of stratified
are present within the basal layer of the stratified squamous epithelium.
The Hair
The hair is black. This represents the apparent natural color. The hair is worn short to medium length. There is a goatee present on the face. The body hair is of normal male distribution.
He Came Around
he came around …………………..he came around ………………………………………with his arm extended …………………………..fist made ……..and went like that ………………………….straight at my face with his … ………………………………………….a full swing with his left hand
Mace
I know how mace affects me so if I used that in that close proximity I was gonna be disabled per se. And I didn’t know if it was even gonna work on him if I would be able to get a clear shot or anything else.
Um, then like I was thinking like picturing my belt going around it. I don’t carry a taser so that option was gone and even if I had one with a cartridge on there, it probably wouldn’t have hit him anywhere.
He Said
He said, “You’re too much of a fuckin’ pussy ………………………..to shoot me” and grabbed my gun.
Then
Then I took my left arm and I pinned it against my back seat and pushed the gun forward like this …………………..took my left hand, placed it against his and my hand on the side of my firearm and pushed forward both of my arms.
Somewhat Lined Up
When it got there I saw that it was somewhat lined up with his silhouette and pulled the trigger.
Nothing happened. Pulled it again, nothing happened.
Um I believe his fingers were over in between from the hammer and the slide preventing it from firing.
Blood
The first thing I remember seeing is glass flyin’ and blood all over my right hand on the back side of my hand.
……………..Um, he looked like he was shocked initially but, and he paused for a second and then he came back into my vehicle and attempted to hit me multiple times
………………………….He had, after I had shot and the glass came up, he took like a half step back and then realized he was okay still I’m assuming. He came back towards my vehicle and ducked in again his whole bod …
………………………….whole top half of his body came in and tried to hit me again.
……………………………………..Um …
Again
I tried to fire again, just a click. Nothing happened.
…………………….After the click, I racked it and as I racked it, it just came up and shot again.
Dust
I was still in this position blocking myself and just shooting to where he was ’cause he was still there.
……………………Um, when I turned and looked, I realized I had missed I saw, a, like dust in the background and he was running …
A Grunting Noise
When he stopped, he turned, looked at me, made like a grunting noise and had the most intense aggressive face I’ve ever seen on a person.
Still Charging
Still charging hands still in his waistband, …………………..hadn’t slowed down. I fired another set of shots.
…………Same thing, still running at me hadn’t slowed down, hands still in his waistband.
He Went Down
He went down his hand was still ………………………….under his, his right hand was still ……………under his body looked like it was still ……………………………….in his waistband. I never touched him.
Swabs
Swabs from Michael Brown’s t-shirt / Swabs from Michael Brown’s shorts / Swabs from the palm of Michael Brown’s left hand / Swabs from the back of Michael Brown’s left hand / Swabs from the palm of Michael Brown’s right hand / Swabs from the back of Michael Brown’s right hand / Swab from the fingernail scrapings/clippings of Michael Brown’s left hand / Swab from the fingernail scrapings/clippings of Michael Brown’s right hand / Piece of apparent tissue or hardened nasal mucus from the driver front exterior door of Ferguson [Police Department] vehicle 108 / Swab from the driver rear passenger exterior door of Ferguson [Police Department] vehicle 108 / Swab from roadway in front of 2943 Canfield / Swab from roadway in front of 2943 Canfield / Swabs from RBS on the upper left thigh of [Police Officer] Wilson’s uniform pants / Swabs from top exterior left front door of Ferguson [Police Department] vehicle 108 / Swabs from exterior left front door mirror of Ferguson [Police Department] vehicle 108 / Swabs from interior left front door handle of Ferguson [Police Department] vehicle 108 / Swabs from [Police Officer] Wilson’s “SIG P229” / Swabs from [Police Officer] Wilson’s uniform shirt—left side and collar / Swabs from [Police Officer] Wilson’s uniform pants—left side / Buccal swab reference sample from [Police Officer] Wilson / Bloodstain card reference sample from Michael Brown
The Deceased Hands
The deceased hands were bagged with paper bags to save any trace evidence
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The text above was taken directly from the documents pertaining to the grand jury investigation of Michael Brown’s shooting. Omitted words are indicated with a double slash (//). Omissions do not alter the context of the information provided. Read the grand jury documents here.
May everyone involved in this tragedy find healing. May we all find our way out of this, of this and so much more.