"Find the evidence of those before you.
Destroy it." (Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale http://www.towncreekpoetry.com/FALL08/ALBERGOTTI_THINGS.htm) if only if only we could change the parameters whereas a month ago one of life's collective pauses was perhaps the hush between the previews and the feature film which was a mere pause between those only at the theater with all of us living our own "busy lives" on our own trajectories what of the pause of a collective tragedy? 9/11 and the New York blackout of '03 were pauses for the greater metro area perhaps further if connected by blood or business or some other ties that wreaked havoc on our emotions but this now is a true collective pause a rolling pause for the entire planet it adds time saves the time of our commute, of our errands, of our outings time which can be used now to examine to reflect to call into question the origins of our structures of who holds power because this microbe upends us it can take down the very strongest of us with a single breath or unwashed hand it can prop up the very weakest of us who care for others selflessly and luckily whose genetics or good fortune keep the invisible beast at bay so what if in this pause we take time to examine the evidence of those before us what if we take time to rethink the entrenched structures and origins and strategize on how to dismantle we'd have to work together we'd have to be optimists we'd have to be democratic but with strong leadership we'd have to have a shared vision of "better" we could start again we could take the reins we could… but our anxieties will take hold our divisions will spear us stifle us paralyze us yet again and again because this thing is bigger than us and our fears will lead us right back to the already known the default the white man's tried and true -Heather Glick, April 23, 2020
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June 2020
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