for Tyre Nichols
Because they did not see his crown
Because we see it now
Another nobody heading somewhere
Cornered not too far from home
Though farther from than ever
Because they did not see the sign
Because we see it now
Castlegate Lane shown on camera
The castle gate of crossroads
Another someone passes to kingdom
About the Poem
The photo shared in The Washington Post article, “Memphis’s Skycop Cameras Couldn’t Prevent Tyre Nichols’s Death” is the inspiration for this poem. That photo highlights the street sign with its prophetic name.
About the Author
Charise M. Hoge was born in Memphis and has since lived in Latin America, Europe, and Asia as an expat. Author of A Portable Identity, Striking Light from Ashes, and Muse in a Suitcase, she is a dance/movement therapist based in Washington, DC.