Safe in Solidarity

Sat, 11/10/2012 - 14:03 -- atableb

There’s nothing like a peaceful battle-
One that hits you in the heart,
One that’s gut wrenching and immense—
But not like a bullet—No,
One that hits you from the inside—
From your brain,
From your heart,
From your very soul.
Safety in solidarity;
Where real heroes are born,
With no weapons other than their brains,
Tongues,
Mouths,
And hearts,
And their strength to act,
Though they’re terrified and blind.
Breaths come in gasps—
They are drowning.
They are drowning in their fear,
And they are drowning in the twisting, turning waters of control.
Each gasping breath weakens resolve,
And they start to sweat—
They cannot act.
Their bodies shaking,
They cannot rise.
Visions of red,
Swelling faces beat their brains and turn to lead,
Carried through their veins,
Spreading through their bodies—
It’s poison
Slow acting and weighing them down so they can never act,
Never rise,
Never rise.
But those hearts, those unstoppable hearts,
There is safety in solidarity—
The only antidote.
They close their eyes, take one deep breath—
Feeling like their feet are acting on their own,
Being driven by the pounding of their unstoppable hearts,
They stand up!
They’re shouting “this is the way!
I know what’s right,
I know where I belong!
You have tried to keep me down, sir,
You have tried to keep me down!
But now I stand,
And with all my might,
I defy your culture,
Your rules,
Your conformity.
And I will die with my heart stopped
Before I die in your ranks again!”

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