August 29th and more
Michael Coard “Oppression has never changed as a result of civil and orderly discussion”
August 29th, 2020 a Saturday in our time
and I tell myself all the reasons
a 71 yr old shouldn’t be at
a hot August demo
in hot August DC and
that hot August Demos
never change the world
or a state
or a county
or a city
or even or even-
August 29th, 2020 in DC
as proclaimed by the Reverend Al
as an echo of MLK
and that march
and wondering what will it take
for Police to stop killing Black people
as though they have a license to do just exactly that
or is being a Police person just exactly that
a license to –
August 29th, 2020 in DC
and maybe some other, closer, spaces.
Maybe I could-
Maybe I could organize a Zoom Reading
about why we still have to
talk about all these
inequalities and why what we
marched and demoed for
marched and demoed for
back in the ancien sixties
still is too damn relevant.
When does this country get past this
or will we all just
slide into the sea
still having people
whose self-worth is tied up in
feeling they are better than someone else
feeling they are better than someone else
not because of who they are
but because of who they are not
August 29th, 2020.
Later today and into the night
there will be other thoughts to have,
other images to caress,
dogs to walk and words to read
dogs to walk and words to read
and other rants to have.
Non possmus ne loqui “I cannot be silent”
Nor should you.