Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats

Sometimes Blue Knights Wear Black Hats is a collection of poetry about law enforcement excesses. Most of the poems were inspired by actual cases from around the country. The author did not set out to compile a collection of these poems, but more and more, nearly every day, another case of law enforcement’s excessive use of force was reported in the Media. The author also did not set out to demonize law enforcement, but focused on those cases where things went terribly wrong, for a number of reasons. As a poet, as someone deeply committed to realizing a just society, the poet chose to report these cases in poetic forms. The poet acknowledges how tough the job is for those entrusted with “public safety.” An earlier version of this book was among the finalists in the 2000 National Poetry Series competition.