Getting arrested and being
processed is called booked
and that place downtown
is called Central Bookings
If Jeremy Mathis
ends up dying
the judge will
throw the book at me
It’s as if all the books I’ve read
will prepare me for all the
books that are coming to me
And Umi worked as a bookkeeper
for small businesses like
Mahmoud’s fabric store
Fatima’s hair-braiding shop
Mr. Kingston’s plumbing services
and they all came to my trial
Umi didn’t have time to read books
There wasn’t enough bookkeeping
for bail money, though