I felt your outrage.
It exploded full blast.
Catching me sitting at the back of the room. Unaware.
Me, who neither shares your experience or your identity. Me, who you accuse of privilege. Who can never be one of you.
Why me?
Can’t you see that I am a lot like you?
Of course, you can’t.
And why should you?
It is, oh so familiar.
I felt your outrage.
Lashing out at authority
and those who resembled “the man.”
Cutting them down to size. Wanting them to suffer. Judging them in their place.
I pray that a tender memory will exist for you one day,
as it now does for me.
Towards the imperfect ones.
I’m so much like they were.
EH!
It’s a joke to think that anyone is one thing. We’re all such complex creatures. But if I’m going to be a poster child for anything, anger’s a gorgeous emotion. It gets a bad rap, but it can make great changes happen. (Alanis Morissette)
Musical selection this post, I’m On Fire by Halifax based Ria Mae. Support her music.
First Leap, Bold; Second Leap, Wild
Making Peace with the Unforgivable
Hitting the Key Notes of Your Time
Inspector Gamache’s Recipe for Boldness
You Can Learn A Lot About About Social Innovation by Paying Attention to the World of Disability
One Comment
Susan Szpakowski
Outrage comes from separation
the places cut off inside ourselves
and then community
the histories we cannot bear
to see and feel.
It’s better than numb
the waking is pain
the dragon unfurls in the belly
shoots its fire into the brain
words become flames
leaving scorched earth.
It’s about time
it’s about release
it’s about voice breaking free.
Later in life we become bone pickers
searching cold ashes for bits of the enemy
because we need them
to heal ourselves.
Is there another way?
Thanks Al for turning yourself inside out and outside in, for all of us travelers.