by Karen Warinsky
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| A protestor entered his fourth day atop the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. Guido Reichstadter remained on top of the bridge as of 4:35 p.m. Monday and told WUSA9 that he would spend another night there. He also indicated that he ran out of food on Saturday and water on Monday morning. |
If you shout your sorrow
from a mountain top
will the wind take your voice
throw it into empty caves
through the standing trees?
If you climb a high bridge
cast a symbol of that sorrow
from the crown
a black cloth
flying in protest
saying, “not in my name”
to war
to inhumanity
to school girls obliterated at their desks
to a president’s threat to
annihilate an ancient civilization,
to the locomotive of AI
tearing across the land,
will anyone hear?
May Day. May Day.
The protester speaks of conscience, soul and duty
but the MAGA reporter in her blood red dress
counters with the evils of Iran;
how they murder their own citizens
have killed Americans.
He agrees, “It’s awful,”
but she is incredulous
at his desire for peaceful change
barks questions through crimson lips
as night surrounds him
a thousand feet in the air
his answers delayed by the wind
buffeted back by her commitment
to make him wrong
make him look crazy
her commitment to more war.
Karen Warinsky, Best of the Net Nominee and Coordinator of Poets at Large, is the author of four collections including Dining with War and Beauty & Ashes.