by Ellen D.B. Riggle
Pointing finger
jabbing at the air
knees pumping
agitated body
up and down
jerking, frenzied
feet stomping
commanding
follow
the line of the arm
a furious digit
directing
to the target.
Growling
desperate
to deflect attention
from the real locus
of terror,
anger
rooted in fear.
Weak eyes follow
the trajectory of missiles,
while courageous eyes
remain fixed
on the one
intent on causing pain
and mass casualty.
What fearless soul
will step into the path
holding a mirror
returning the pointing finger
to its rightful owner?
Ellen D.B. Riggle is an award- and prize-winning author and educator. Their essays and poems appear in numerous publications; their essay about their gay great-grandfather was nominated for a Pushcart Prize by Does it Have Pockets. They are also author of over 100 academic articles and five non-fiction and fiction books, and executive producer of the short documentary “Becoming Myself: Positive Trans & Nonbinary Identities.”
