For Devonte

a moment locked,
frozen in time—
captured and
released—

inspiration.

it is said that
a picture is worth
a thousand words.

truth.

also true:
for every one 
of those thousand words,
are hidden pains unseen—

unanswered.

in the officer’s eyes,
we see compassion,
a human being who chose
to let humanity matter more.

in the boy?—desperation.
the need for a hug
in a world torn by hate—
in world that would rather
shoot him than give him love.

very real.

yet, do we see
beneath the tears,
beneath his pigment,
beneath the gravity
of that
one

moment?

inspired,
the world moves on,
while, day after day,
month after painful month,
he was being punished just for

existing—

starved, beaten,
forced to beg for food
from his unwary neighbors,

only to be,
some four years later,
victimized by more evil—
swept cruelly from this life
into the remorseless sea.

yes,
a picture is worth 
a thousand words;

a human life—worth far, far more.

Poet’s Note: 
Written in December 2025, reflecting on Devonte Hart.

© 2025 Tristan Robert Lange. All rights reserved.
First published on tristanrobertlange.com, January 8, 2026.
 
Tittu