It would have been his birthday
Yesterday
My friend, Peter
We were supposed to be a thing
Once upon a time
But it never came to pass
It just didn't
That didn't make me any less sorrowful
Of his natal anniversary
When I was perpetually reminded
Because no one has taken down
His profile
Since he was murdered
A few months ago
Assaulted in the laundry room
Of his apartment building
And left for dead
After his screams
Heard by the other tenants
Went unanswered
I don't know if they ever caught
The suspected son of a bitch
Who could do such a thing
To another human being
Let alone someone I knew by name
But it reminded me once more
Unnecessarily
In these times of sanctimonious
Self-appointed sainthood
No matter what is said
The horrible truth is
Not all lives matter
To everyone
copyright 2020 by Steve Keil
