Cops aren’t my best buddies. We don’t hang out. They’re not my family, And they don’t know all the pieces of my life. But one night, When I had nothing left, They were the ones who stayed. Those you slam every single day Are the people who saved me When YOU walked away. They're the people who helped calm my fears When I was threatened with violence or death, Who stood beside me And helped wipe my tears, And gave me courage to move on When the line was drawn And I had nowhere left to turn. All I wanted was silence. All I craved was death. Just to make the noise and fear go away. But in the middle of the chaos, When everything inside me Was screaming at me to give up, Someone stopped. Not a best friend. Not family. Not someone who owed me anything. A Portland 911 dispatcher Took the time to talk to me and said, “You matter. Don’t give up.” A few simple words. A few quiet minutes At a time when it felt like No one saw how badly some of us were hurting. So when you slam them every fucking single day, When you reduce every badge To something you hate, Remember— You may see what you despise. I see who gave me courage to stand and rise. I remember the human being On the other end of that line Who saw the human being inside me, Broken, battered, Begging to be set free. When I could no longer see her myself.
