It was last Tuesday, but it could just as well have been Wednesday.
I sat in a room filled with people, talking.
We had gathered in the name of doing justice.
We had gathered with the purpose of making change.
We had gathered each of us believing
that we had something individually to contribute.
I believe that is why we were all there. I don’t know.
Not everyone talked.
We left, some of us having talked.
There was some nodding, but very little understanding.
And, when we left the room Tuesday
where we were in relation to the world
was where we were on Monday.
How could this be? Why are things not different?
Why is there still injustice?
These are good people who want to make change
– passionate people, smart people –
those who have gathered.
How could this be?
It was last Wednesday, but it could just as well have been Thursday.
I sat in a room half-filled with people talking.
We had gathered in the name of anti-oppression struggles
We had gathered with the purpose of setting each other free
We had gathered each of us believing
that we had something individually to contribute.
I believe that is why we were all there. I don’t know.
Not everyone talked.
We left, some of us having talked.
There was some nodding, but very little understanding.
And, when we left the room Wednesday
where we were in relation to the world
was where we were on Tuesday.
How could this be? Why are things not different?
Why is there still oppression?
These are good people who want to make change
– passionate people, smart people –
those who have gathered (although there are less!)
How could this be?
It was last Thursday, but it could just as well have been Friday.
I sat in a room with some people, talking –
much fewer now.
We had gathered in the name of freedom,
freedom from alienation,
freedom from despair,
freedom from uncertainty.
We had gathered each of us believing
that we had something individually to contribute.
I believe that is why we were all there. I don’t know.
Not everyone talked.
We left, some of us having talked – but not all.
There was some nodding, but very little understanding.
And, when we left the room Thursday
where we were in relation to the world
was where we were on Wednesday.
How could this be? Why are things not different?
Why is there still alienation, despair and uncertainty?
These are good people who want to make change
– passionate people, smart people –
those who have gathered (although there are even less!)
How could this be?
It was last Friday, but it could just as well have been anyday.
I sat in a room with two people,
one was talking –
We had gathered in the name of democracy.
The one who was talking was angry and said,
“Where are the others who once came?
What is wrong with them?
Why are they not here any longer?
Do they not know that they should contribute?”
There was some nodding, but very little understanding.
And, when the two left the room on Friday
where we were in relation to the world
was where we were on Tuesday, or was it Monday?
It was anyday.
And no one came to the room.
No one gathered,
Not in this room or any room,
Not one of the good, passionate, smart people gathered in a room.
How could this be?
For justice to be done,
For there to be
no more oppression,
for there to be
freedom from alienation,
freedom from despair,
freedom from uncertainty,
For there to be real change
…it MUST happen with US first
in the rooms where we gather.
We must ALL gather,
ALL have voice,
ALL talk and ALL listen,
there must be every attempt at understanding…
and then there will be the change we hope for.
…it’s happening in some rooms,
but not all.
…not enough,
not yet.
–
Justice demands integrity… to have a moral universe… ~ bell hooks
Janette Watt is a proud-brazen-instigator, a value-driven political thinker, a social critic and an aspiring dissident writer. Her writing and her presentations are informed by her life experiences as an activist lawyer, an activist educator and active member of the human race. She is the owner/president of Watt Communications. Read other posts by Janette Watt.
