The Heart Weighs 300 Grams
—Excerpt from Sandy Bland’s Autopsy

Just for starters,
say

it’s your daughter,
and she’s

Black, and someone
from Texas,

Florida, Alabama,
California,

New York, South Carolina,
Ohio, Missouri,

Michigan, Arkansas,
Nevada,

Maryland, Louisiana,
Georgia, North

Carolina, Washington D.C.,
Oregon, or

Virginia is weighing
her heart

on a scale. Just for
now—

say they know how
it feels.

Then, find words
and speak.