Now You Slay Me Down To Sleep

by Leslie Maxwell Cook
(Detroit Michigan United States of America)

Now You Slay Me Down To Sleep...
We once were friendly neighbors who said hello, goodbye, thank you, and please,
Now we are attending funerals for our loved ones and asking,
"Why oh why Lord?” while praying for mercy in unison on our knees,
The days used to be filled with hope for tomorrow, dreams we dreamed in the comfort and safety of our homes,
We awakened every day giving thanks to God with prayers filled with enthusiasm and expectations of success from our plans all set with a roadmap to follow,
Somehow we now are locked down in our homes with windows covered with iron rod bars, speed dial set on 911, the front door closed tight in scalding heat of the summer,
Nothing but fear awaiting us as an unwelcomed friend
Always on its way too soon, too close, lurking as we are falling asleep,
We toss and turn and awake after little or no sleep,
from thinking about what harm waits outside the front door tomorrow for us to somehow defeat,
The prayers we shared as children begins,
Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord, my soul to keep,
If I should die before I wake I pray the Lord my soul to take,

Those sentimental words of comfort, love, and safety we were taught, wrapped ourselves up so snug, knowing mom and daddy would be there to hug us, kiss us and rock us to sleep and watch over us with the angels until we did awake,
But now all we do is wail and weep as we see our family, friends and innocents attacked in their homes dragged, dismembered and scattered through the streets,
Echoes of animal like howls and hoots, as they smoke up, snort up, and shoot up their blood covered loot,
The prayer I share means the same but the words have had to change,
Because now you slay us down to sleep,
Killing, stabbing, raping a ninety year old grandmother while she sleeps,
Carjacking and stalking grocery shoppers and following them home,
Creeping up on innocent caregivers and their patients, elders, and retired contributors to our community as they enjoy their last days of peace on earth in their paid for homes,
Swallowing little girls, puppy dogs and carrying out hammer attacks on blind men walking alone bravely as cowards “Blitz attack”,
Like evil ghosts roaming up and down once docile and friendly neighborhood streets now turned war zone,

I'm offended,
Slayer, you pretended,
To be a part of our community,
Now you lay us down to sleep,
Lying, plotting, planning to execute us one by one if we do not resist, By exterminating violent predators, and the burned out homes and abandoned cars in which they sleep,
They will not stop breaking into our homes and hearts,
Until they are stopped in their tracks and put behind bars,
No more sympathy,
No more co-dependent gifts from the family money tree,
Using monstrous eye fluttering charms followed by excuses like they are a victim, nobody loves them, they were abused as a child and they cannot find a job they like so they justify a lifestyle based on a false sense of entitlement to rob, rape, steal,
Slayers forgot they will reap what they sew and they will be defeated by people of pure peace,
To torture, take, what others have worked for while they case our homes walking up and down the streets, while lookouts watch out on the corner awaiting their cut of pennies and a dollar,
Lurking in darkness to pounce on an overworked mother or father so they can split their head open in the driveway as they are carrying in groceries and a gift for the baby from Family Dollar,

How dare you slayer!
Are you aware, we know you?
Yes you!
We are sick of trying to talk to you, rock the hurt out of you, setting up jobs and rehabilitation programs you never show up to,
"Ginormous boo-hoo-hoo-hoo poor, poor sick and twisted you",
Hurting your loving wife, beating your child black and blue, then heading to the street to wait for your neighbor who loaned you a cup of sugar you still have not returned along with the borrowed garden rake that was politely handed over when you were struggling raking the grass with a broom,
While we work eight to five, or sit in comfort because we have put in 40 days and forty nights of working, working, working, one to three jobs to make ends meet, and pay the bill men before they start a fight,
Now I am relaxing day and night because I've earned the right,
It’s a shame,
We know you slayer, but not your name,
You sneak, creep and study our working hours, comings and goings,
So you can come as soon as I leave home and mess up my garden and use a walkway brick to crash my window out and go shopping,
Slayer, if you put half that energy into taking responsibility for your destiny, minding your own business and life,
Getting any job available, taking responsibility for the children you made that have no daddy, no money, no supervision, no one to look up to and is stuck with you the victim, predator posing as a human being devouring innocents, masquerading as an invisible, excuse making father,
We all agree the world is in a mess,
But how are we going to be remembered as a humanity who allowed babies to be murdered, grandma's to be attacked by neighborhood perverts, and streets with scattered body parts from someone who went out for a walk?
Will we be remembered as keepers of inhumane animals devouring our brothers, sisters, and babies?
Or will we stand, plant our feet, join our hands and resolve, and say what we mean and mean what we say,
"No More, No More"!
We will not sacrifice one more innocent soul to your bottomless hole, filled with paranoia, senseless violence, and an appetite that thirsts for only more,
So as the day turns to night,
We will fear you no more,



With love and vigilance in our hearts we as a community will recite,
As you slay us down to sleep,
We pray the Lord your life to change or take,
If you should die before you wake,
We pray the devil will beat the Lord to your remains, and take you where the “caresnakers”, “dreambreakers”, and “babydestroyers” and “familymember-takers”,
Slayer you have earned the right to go down way below,
Because you have written a testimony with our blood harming innocents and pursuing the destruction of your own fellow children, women and men,
May God have mercy on the soul he will lose as you pass?
May the world become a better place as we stand together; protect everyone, from every slayer walking the street,
The lost ones who have made the choice,
To live a life of slaying us down to sleep,
Amen my fellow peacekeepers and friends.

(c) Copyright 2010 by Leslie Maxwell Cook, Poet For Peace since 1997