POWER
Power lies in the black snake lines above, anchored by
Metal men in their power stances
And in the gas beneath the sea and poison oil
In the wells, which swells the pockets of the
already too wealthy
Power pulsates in the veins of those aggrieved and
aggravated by Injustice
And lies in the hearts of the extroverted campaigner
And the introverted professional
Whose presence in the workplace is political
Whose absence from the household is political
Whose decision to take an indulgent bath
is feminist and political
Power lies in the heart of
teachers without classrooms
And In the student who teaches her life
In every question answered by another
And In every fishing lesson that teaches
independence
Power lies In every refusal to teach
The willingly blind, oblivious to the truths of
Humanity, inclusivity, diversity and privilege
Don’t explain you, Just be you,
female, Muslim, brown, whatever
And that too is powerful and political.
Power lies in perspective
And our ability to control our reactions to
People, events, love and hate,
Ignorance and knowledge
Environment and experience
And how we define us
And speak our Crystal truth
Power lies in the ability to see across the sea of lies
Sold to the masses as fame, game and
And good telly
Name, Shame, blame
The poor and illiterate for their
Inability to pull up their socks and pull out
all the stops on their way to the food bank
Power lies in rebellion, in the refusal to accept
Tales on big red buses
And imaginary lines, dividing nations, rations and people
Power lies in school girls, actors and lawyers
Who gently storm the streets with their words
Enough is enough, me too, black lives matter,
Etching visions of change on the retinas
Of the choirs and the myopic leaders
Power lies about the destruction of the earth
The distribution of wealth, water and shelter
And power lies about the reality of responsibility
The one percent versus the ninety nine
Power lies in unity, pulsing through the veins
Of the passionate, the terrified and
The weary wise warriors of peace
Power lies with us
Lovers, makers, voters,
And the story we write together
For all of our futures
Amria Khatun
2019