After what was an all too brief holiday respite,with everyone under one roof,
surrounded by family and friends,
it was easy to focus on all that is right in the world.
to a manageable level of anxiety.
And then the New Year started -
and the fantasy that it would be different vanished.
I don't want black Venezuelan oil in cargo ships.
I want brown, olive, peach, chocolate and midnight black skin on streets,
in shops, homes and pews around me.
I don't want red blood on the streets.
I want blue, pink, white, yellow, grey, purple and red hair walking by
as I'm stopped at a traffic light.
I want ice in my drinks, not in my town.
I want to share society with other vulnerable human beings
willing to reveal who they are beyond the masks we all wear -
not hiding their features and identity
while so clearly revealing their weaknesses and cruelty.
How did we come to this?
What alchemy of malice and ignorance has been let loose amongst us
and by what band of evil trolls?
What magic password has been forgotten that once allowed us
to pass across the bridge unharmed?
Where are the heroes on their trusty steeds
to right the wrongs?
Is there an ending to this nightmare -
a happy ending doesn't even seem to be anywhere on the horizon -
or are we doomed to live trapped in this hellscape indefinitely?
Sadly, I fear
this will be the fight for generations to come:
the quest that will determine who we are as a country and as individual citizens.
The sooner we realize that WE are the heroes we've been waiting for to save us,
the sooner we can get started in earnest
to do just that.
So rest up while you can,
but get ready.
