covid-19 became american:
classist, capitalist, complacent
torturous death cried out
beneath a white policeman’s knee
one thing follows another
sweltering snarls
unrest in so many cities
the darkness of this time
the milk-white palette
what comes next?
summer has blossomed
the certainty of storm
grows clouds from the horizon
an archangelic season
Kim M. Russell, 2nd June 2020
My response to earthweal weekly challenge: What Comes Next?
I’ve taken the liberty of creating a ‘found/erasure’ poem from Brendan’s essay. I hope you don’t mind, Brendan.
writing in north norfolk 
The last line of your poem takes it into another realm. We are facing more than a pandemic now and America is the flash point. Some say this is the changing of the ages -archangelic times indeed.
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I recently watched an interesting series from Australia, which tackled the way women, in particular Aborigine women, we’re treated. I can’t remember what it was called, but it was very good.
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Yes there are a lot of injustices in this country. These times are highlighting many of them.
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Trump is in his bunker now…let’s hope the phoenix rises in truth from the ashes. (K)
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I heard on the news that European leaders have condemned his actions. He might as well stay in the bunker, nobody would miss him.
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Not at all.
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It is such a sad situation that has come about from this stupid and hateful act. It opened Pandora’s box letting out all the seething anger and evil that has been building for years; just waiting for an opportunity to let loose.
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I can only imagine what it’s like over there. The closest we cam e were the riots back in 2011 and before that the Brixton riots..
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The sad thing is that the Media thrives on the violence… and in my opinion promotes it by their inflammatory coverage!
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What a cool idea, a found poem from Brendan’s essay. Well done. What comes next…ironically, trump ordering the militia on his own people, then standing this morning holding a Bible in front of a church, seeing no irony in the two events. His base eats that stuff up.
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Thank you, Sherry. I’m just stunned by what is happening. So frightening. America is supposed to be a place of equality. That man has so much to answer for.
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A reminder that those archangels didn’t just stand around looking pretty – they had big swords. The world feels very unsteady at the moment.
I love the found/erasure poetry. I think I did that to one of Brendan’s poems, once. He pulls such powerful phrases out.
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He dows. And his poems are epic.
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Does…
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Is your smell chucker playing up again?
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It’s either that or my arthritic fingers!
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You certainly took up the quest(ion) …. And if the season has grown archangelic, then what happens next will certainly feel biblical. I sure would be so happy to see some other nation than this bad USA to occupy the news. (Much of the commotion here I think has to do with terrible inequities flooded by more.) (And BTW I prefer “dows” to “does” — something spelunkingly oceanic about it….) – Brendan
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Thanks Brendan.
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Brilliant idea Kim.
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Thanks Linda.
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