The Tradition is a collection of poetry written by Jericho Brown, covering themes such as racism, family life, abuse, and living with a life-altering illness. The collection was published in 2019 and is Brown's third collection of poetry.
Bullet Points
"Bullet Points" is a moving poem about police brutality in America. Written from the perspective of a black man living in America, the poem highlights the sense of danger and threat many people feel around police officers, due to the prevalence of police brutality and racial violence. At the end of the poem, the speaker writes: "I promise if you hear of me dead anywhere near a cop, then that cop killed me."
The Virus
"The Virus" is a poem written about living with an incurable, life-altering illness. The poem is written from the perspective of the virus itself, who is violent and threatening towards the person who has the illness. The virus is set on making their life a misery and wants to "kill" everything that brings them joy, such as flowers.
