‘Tonight, we cry’: Police officer writes and reads poem for killed colleagues

When Shane, a serving police officer, heard the news about four of his colleagues dying on the Eastern Freeway, he was filled with sadness.

“It broke me,” he said.

But he had to do something. So he wrote a poem.

He sent that poem to Neil Mitchell and then gave an extraordinarily raw and emotional rendition on-air.

Read it below, or click PLAY to hear Shane read his poem

It’s not about the badge or the uniform we wear,
We do it for you and because we care.
We leave our families to protect your home and you,
And we do it because we care about what we do.

We do it to serve you and protect you as best as we can,
We do it even knowing what risks are at hand.
Our uniforms aren’t strong and they’re not made of steel,
Nor are the emotions of how we can feel.

We are human, we feel pain just like you do,
We see so many things that you wouldn’t want to.
But tonight we’ve all seen it and felt such a grief,
Of losing four lives in circumstances that beggar belief.

Tragically taken while they protected us all,
Tragically taken and can’t protect us no more.
The tears are now flowing and our hearts are aching,
For the loss we are feeling and how our hearts are breaking.

Tonight we cry at the loss of family and friends,
And the tears will never dry and our thoughts will never end.
You will live in our hearts and thoughts in every way,
Of the risks that you took and the price that you paid.