The Burden
I came home from grocery shopping
One sunny afternoon
And there were five police cars parked
Outside my house with flashing lights.
I was met with a surreal and chaotic scene
As my cherished possessions were
Scattered outside on the lawn
In an unorganized manner.
Going inside the house
Past the police officers
My house looked
Thoroughly Disheveled
And searched through.
Outside my window
I could see the perpetrators
Sitting with angry and unrepentant
Visages drawn upon their faces
In the back of the police cruiser.
Some weeks later
I was still shaken by this event
And paranoid about my safety.
I’d like to say everything
Went back to normal afterwards
But certain events change you forever
In ways that you cannot predict.
This had been the third time
I had been robbed in Cincinnati
And I guess my psyche
Had had enough.
The anger and mistrust
That I felt
Towards humanity
Never fully diminished.
I was told this is a
Defense mechanism
To help us prevent from being
Victims in the future.
It is the burden
We carry
To help us
Stay safe.
So far it has worked.