Juan Felipe Herrera, the current Poet Laureate of the United States, has written a poem called “@ the Crossroads—A Sudden American Poem.” He was inspired to write this by the tragic deaths that occurred in Minnesota, Louisiana, and Texas last week.
Herrera’s poem was published by the Academy of American Poets as part of the “Poem-a-Day” series. Click here to read the full text. Here’s an excerpt from the piece:
“Let us celebrate the lives of all
As we reflect & pray & meditate on their brutal deaths
Let us celebrate those who marched at night who spoke of peace
& chanted Black Lives Matter
Let us celebrate the officers dressed in Blues ready to protect”