our daily peaceful multiracial black-lives-interrupted-by-guns-
(& all black lives)-matter protest was interrupted by a gun
our congresswoman’s meet-the-people-where-they’re-at supermarket
parking lot gab-fest in the southwest was interrupted by a—💥
our intimate-but-open-hearted-in-mother’s-embrace wednesday
evening services prayer request was interrupted by—💥💥
our gatherings in the tree-of-life’s-upper-&-lower-branches
observing the holy day of rest, were interrupted—💥💥💥
our senior year of high school, warm-mid-winter-in-the-park-
land, o-beautiful-american history test was—💥💥💥💥
our dorm-life, campus-green, blooming-in-classrooms-where-
poetry-&-engineering-are-professed—💥💥💥💥💥
our weekly hot scene, our night-to-ride-the-latin-pulse, hip-
gripped, zest-sipped, drag-dressed,—💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥💥
our calendar—january 1st to new year’s eve—is shot, riddled (why??)
with death. every solution we suggest is interrupted by— 💥 (again…)
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This poem is excerpted from Adi’s new issue Policy Recommendations: Poets Intervene, which launches Thursday, October 29th. Excerpted with the permission of Adi.
