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The One Moment I Will Always Remember
A Poem from 2020
I distinctly remember watching the election certification, watching and reporting on politics as I usually do. There was an eerie feeling, but nothing prepared me for what was about to happen.
I watched as Trump supporters marched furiously. I sat flabbergasted as they erected a noose and began forcing themselves into the Capitol violently. I had PBS on and there was a reporter inside the Capitol that I watched hide from men with guns; I prayed fervently as she ran, low to the ground, towards safety with members of Congress.
The riot was the most terrifying thing I have ever watched, but I could not turn away. As our government used this horrifying event to put even more authoritarian pressure on citizens, I held my breath through the inauguration. I wrote this poem that day, conflicted because I don’t support our current government officials, but I want peace and belief in democracy, two things the right does not want.
I hope one day we can move beyond these identity politics and the prison/military-industrial complex. I hope we can move towards abolition and restorative justice, eliminating the enormous wealth gap, and make an equitable world for all people — working class, disabled, marginalized people, and all of those things will still benefit those who are currently…
