Outpouring
A bucket of water tossed on the frozen streets of Minneapolis
for the ICE agent to slip on while running at the crowd of protesters;
a river of souls streaming through the avenues
chanting Renee Good’s name, waving posters of her sunflower face;
a tsunami of people all over the world sending money and encouraging notes
to the ones buying groceries for the ones who are hiding,
afraid to go to work, or school, or the store;
everyone marching together in zero degree weather, scared
and defiant, weathered activists arm-in-arm with new-to-this Gen Z kids–
those with nothing to lose, those with everything,
blowing their whistles, following the black SUVs,
banging pots and pans outside the Hilton where the agents are trying to sleep,
saying No, not in my neighborhood, saying MacBeth
shall sleep no more, crying Murder most foul, sleep no more;
What is this outpouring? Where’s the source? Will it be enough?
Today, we’re all Minnesotans, from California to Maine: we’re tired,
hoarse, footsore, at the ragged edge of endurance from getting up before dawn
to protect our schools, our neighbors; still, there’s no stopping this
outpouring of people, in all the states and every weather while the sky itself
pours snow and sleet all over the blasted heath they are trying to make
of our country. Outpouring of disgust at the mad king and his masked army,
a united swell, an upsurge, a tsunami of courage and outrage
flooding the streets and highways and byways
with humanity declaring itself human in the face of the faceless,
singing Hold On in four-part harmony, testimony rising up
and pouring forth in faith; a cascade, a deluge, a torrent of love.
*
Alison Luterman’s five books of poetry are The Largest Possible Life, See How We Almost Fly, Desire Zoo, In the Time of Great Fires, and Hard Listening. She also writes plays, song lyrics, and personal essays. She has taught at New College, The Writing Salon, Catamaran, Esalen and Omega Institutes and writing workshops around the country, as well as working as a California poet in the schools for many years.
Great poem!
Great work