Sammy's Predictament

You see the trees make the fruits with

poisonous seeds for the animals

so the animals carry the seeds

to different places and planting them

that's the circle of life

Sammy heard her counselor explaining

to her how life is interconnected

and only depending on each other

can we survive.

This was years before her altercation

with the police. Sammy was living

on the streets, trying to make money.

She held up a sign begging for food,

money and housing. And she did

this as long as she could remember.

Some people would give her a little

and she was ever so grateful sleeping

on the park benches.

It happened she found an abandoned

house, the drug dealers, who used to live

there were booted out by the police.

Sammy found safety within its walls.

She would sleep in what she had

all day and all night after getting food.

One night a fire broke out, the next

door neighbors called the police.

Sammy was sleeping and a neighbor

rescued her and she tried to explain

but mumble her words.

The firefighters came first and

she tried to explain but she had

a hard time remembering.

And when the police came,

they shouted at her for mumbling.

She tried to get away and

she punched an officer.

The officers threw her to

the ground and handcuffed her.

Neighbors watched and quoted

the Constiution stating that she

does not have to say anything.

It was a long drive to the police

station, Sammy refused to talk.

The police did not take her

to the main jailhouse

but to a nearby station.

They chained her up and

locked her in a hold.

Sammy could not go to

the bathroom without an officer

present and watching.

And her chains were so tight

she could barely moved.

There happened to be

a supervising officer

who inquired about the arrest.

She came into Sammy's hold

She talked politely and asked

questions wanting her to explain

herself

Sammy refused her interrogation but as soon

as the supervising officer was about

to leave.

Sammy begged her to use the bathroom

and when the supervising officer

complied.

Sammy told her after using the bathroom

her situation that she did not mean

to hurt the officer but she felt threatened.

She explained she had been poor

since she ran away from her parents

years ago.

She further explained that

she had no one, not one person

looking out for her and the house

was the only shelter she had.

The supervising officer understandly thanked her

for her response and courage.

Sammy asked a last request

for the chains to be loosen.

The supervising officer had compassion

on Sammy and told the officers to

lighten her chains.

After hours and hours of waiting,

the officers did not feed Sammy

or give her something to drink

only letting her use the bathroom.

The officers reported that she

had a visitor and that it was her

uncle. Her uncle came into

Sammy's hold with the officer.

He reassured her and he yelled at

the officers demanding answer.

Her uncle said that she has

family issues and how her parents

mistreated her. Eventually he stated

Sammy is in his custody

now and he will take her to counseling.

The officer released her with a judge

notice and they told her uncle that

she must appear before the court.

The supervising officer gave

her apologies for the officers' behavior

and for Sammy's predictament.