This powerful poem comes from Lenora R. Elliot. It is a conversation between a mother and daughter. Please allow yourself to feel while you read.
by Lenora Roxy Elliot
My mom says,
'I'm scared.'
For most,
Usually it's the other way round.
But since regime changes, chilling effects freeze families throughout.
She says
'I don't want to be beat up.
I don't want to be pepper sprayed.
I don't want to die.'
.
All I can say is
'I also don't want that.'
She asks me,
'What should I do?'
'Do what you must so you can sleep at night.'
She says,
'I'm really scared.
I'm hearing reports.
People who look like me. Getting beat up. Getting shot...'
I tell her practical things.
'Risk assess each step. Is the risk worth the outcome? Is this,
what's going on, other people's lives, something you would die for?'
She pauses. Worry betraying the glamour of her false eyelashes.
'You know XXXX? From SSSS?
YYYY's husband? yes. yes. Two daughters now. ahuh. yes. Yes well they moved to ZZZZ... Well. XXXX saw groups of men walking around openly wearing swastikas.
beating people up.'
Of all the things, I am struck by her pronunciation of the word, swastika.
I realise it is because I never heard how she said it. There was no reason to.
Now, there is reason to.
And her pronunciation,
is reminiscent of the east coast. A far away place from where she lives.
'What should I do?'
Again she says,
'I'm scared.'
My heart in my chest thumps out
me too.
Instead. What I say is
'Yes.
it is a very scary time.'
She says, 'it's time to go. I know it's selfish of me but...'
My mother's linage has had a pretty good sense of when it's time to leave.
Get the candles. Get the cash. Go.
Do not pass Go. Do not collect 200 dollars. Hurry.
There is no time to wait for the bread to rise.
Time to go. Now.
Yet what I said is
'Be brave. It is scary right now.
But all the more reason to be as brave as you can.
Be scared, yes, it is scary.
But be scared and brave.'
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