 |
| Source |
You rose up powerfully from your seat
and moved the truth-force field with you toward
the mic. We felt the
spittle on our cheeks.
Despite your testimony, one spoke
again again how There’s
No Evidence
of Racism within the
police force.
Which made me wonder how much evidence must
accumulate before it stopped up drains
and ruffled smooth-surfaced communities.
Small quiet places that have laws about
removing trash and poop and mowing lawns,
and test water before it poisons kids.
Small quiet places that pretend they’re
not like everywhere American
rather than look hard at what could be true
If they would test and clear the pipelines that
accumulate secrets and harm the flow
of love eroding hate again again.
Posted for Sumana's prompt
Poets United Midweek Motif ~ Absence
Please respect my experiment and my copyright.
© 2016 Susan L. Chast
Indeed I think everywhere, even small towns, need to look hard at themselves rather than deny what all is eroding the flow of love. It is easy to point fingers, but not so easy to look within.
ReplyDeleteVery timely and potent.
ReplyDeleteSounds like suburbia to me... I need to work where I am.
ReplyDelete'If they would test and clear the pipelines that
ReplyDeleteaccumulate secrets and harm the flow
of love eroding hate again again.'
Now that is the hard truth. Everywhere here is not like it is there.....but here is there isn't it, and it is everywhere this hate. A strong and outstanding work Susan!
It is everywhere.....I just saw the teenage son of the man shot by police, asking protestors to protest peacefully. Very powerful.
ReplyDeleteIf they would test and clear the pipelines that
ReplyDeleteaccumulate secrets and harm the flow
of love eroding hate again again.
Gosh, such a timely and powerful write, Susan.
Lots of love,
Sanaa
You deliver a strong message with just the right amount of irony, for those with eyes to see.
ReplyDeletethe last stanza says it all...just as Mary said hard to look within....
ReplyDeleteVery timely. We do need to look carefully, and clear the piplines.
ReplyDeleteRules for one - rules for the other... So very infuriating and everybody knows - but knowing involves searching and unclogging the drains of their hypocrisies and biases ..we can only hope one day..passionately written and witnessed
ReplyDelete"If they would test and clear the pipelines that
ReplyDeleteaccumulate secrets and harm the flow
of love eroding hate again again."-- Poignant. It's easy to identify with these lines..Perhaps, a new definition of roots and non-regional/non- communal belonging has to be devised. Powerfully refreshing poem, Susan.
There are always secrets, aren't there? There never seems to be an absence of them.
ReplyDeleteWe unclog the drain by doing good. Sadly few are rallying about the small groups of people who are trying to effect change.
ReplyDeleteTimely and important.. sometimes people, communities, the legal and political system have all got to move together to bring about change... together find the will to do it.
ReplyDeleteOutstanding, Susan. Sadly appropriate, but hopeful.
ReplyDeleteWhen the normal rule of law and accepted standards are threatened is indeed time to question what is happening in our societies. Once we were living comfortably in our communities now we are now fearful and look for wise heads to rule to avert a crisis. Let's hope there are some.
ReplyDeleteProfound, and thought provoking - as it should be really
ReplyDeletemuch love...
Where racism is endemic it is very hard to eradicate.Big problem.
ReplyDeleteVery sensible lines. Everywhere we see disparity.
ReplyDeleteSobering!
ReplyDeleteI am happy to see a few expressed themselves about what's been happening to our country and world. You are so right about those pipes Susan!
ReplyDeletePoignant and powerful.
ReplyDeleteWonderful poem, Susan, and quite an apt comment. We have been looking at the news from the USA and are dismayed. Not that we are without our share of strife here in Australia, but somehow it seems that things have deteriorated so much in the last few years in the USA. What is the answer? Better education all round? Reform of gun laws? Community involvement in collaborative projects with police? Not an easy thing to tackle...
ReplyDelete