THE YOUNG ARCANE

Latest

1.
First it was, like a bat
out of hell, “I can’t breathe!”
and tens, then hundreds
then hundreds of thousands
died because they couldn’t.
Then it was a knee on
a neck and “I can’t breathe!”
gasped George Floyd,
who was murdered precisely
because he couldn’t.
Now it’s the young the wide
world over, it’s the young
who are changing the world.
Out of the way, old fogies,
with your racy hates, your
boring slots, your I dunnos
and don’t care whats. Outta
the way ‘cause the young
are coming through to get rid
of the cops as we know them,
as traitors of the working-class,
racists for the ruling class and
its thug President, who gassed
and gunned peacefully protesting
American citizens, who won’t
be content until he’s in jail with
his lawless and disorder gang.
2.
Yes, for George Floyd’s
6 year-old daughter Gianna;
Yes, for the young going to
see to it that the 38 billion
dollars given to Israel for
American cops to be trained
by Israeli police to put the
knee on the likes of Floyd
as they do on Palestinian
necks is finished
from this moment on,
and the 728 military bases
in every country on earth,
our American imperialism,
begins to shut down,
surrender. Our khaki
is kaka.
3.
The future’s full of
beautiful young women
and young men, all of
them very aware
of what’s really
going on in life. Nothing’s
going to stop them from
realizing their dream of a
world of loving kindness.
They’re not afraid and they
welcome you, who might be,
into their fearlessness.
They have much to teach
about what you already
know and have swept
under your rugs and now
are being swept out into
the air of your second
youth, so altogether
we’re going to create
a kind of society that’s
ruled by kindness at the
heart of love, knowing
that it can be done
and will be done,
by the young and the old
together, at last.
— Jack Hirschman
American poet and social activist.
Poet Laureate, San Francisco, 2006

+ Articles by this author

Free to republish but please credit the People's Tribune. Visit us at www.peoplestribune.org, email peoplestribune@gmail.com, or call 773-486-3551.

The People’s Tribune brings you articles written by individuals or organizations, along with our own reporting. Bylined articles reflect the views of the authors. Unsigned articles reflect the views of the editorial board. Please credit the source when sharing: ©2024 peoplestribune.org. Please donate to help us keep bringing you voices of the movement. Click here. We’re all volunteer, no paid staff.

1 COMMENT

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Featured

Students Walk Out Across the Country to Protest Trump’s Election

Read the speech delivered by a student at the student walkout at MSU two days after the Presidential election. Thousands of students nationwide walked out to protest Donald Trump's election and his policies on the same day.

Let’s Join Hands to Resist the Trump Agenda

Thousands of groups and millions of people are beginning to reach out to one another to resist the Trump agenda. Regardless of who we voted for, we the people, have a common interest in seeing to it that all our families are well taken care of, that all children are well educated and have a future, and that we have a society free of climate disaster, racism, bigotry and inequality.

How Democrats Ignoring Gaza Brought Down Their Party

"Many Americans roused to action by their government’s complicity in Gaza’s destruction have no personal connection to Palestine or Israel. Their motive is not ethnic or religious. It is moral."

Undocumented Families Are Fighting for Our Future. Will You Join Us?

'As an undocumented mother, I can’t help but worry for my son’s safety first. As an organizer, my worry turns to resolve.'

Fighting for Climate, Students Walk Out Over Trump

"[The student nationwide] walkouts represent a call to action for both parties," said Sunrise Youth Movement, a group that advocates for political action on climate change.

More from the People's Tribune