Andre F. Peltier

for shipping and handling,

and a couple weeks of impatiently

checking the mail,

my free pride flag arrived on my doorstep.

I flew it from the porch as the breeze

made those rainbow stripes

dance like daffodils to

the eternal songs of longing

and resistance.

I took it down,

fastened it to my shoulders

like so much Kryptonian vigilance,

and hit the streets.

Leaping tall buildings in a single bound,

racing locomotives and 9mm slugs,

I beam at all of my compatriots

as they too saunter down the street

waving free pride flags and hollering

about the state of democracy.

And you, dear reader,

I wave to you as you fly

free pride flags and set

police cruisers ablaze.

Cinderblocks rain from

the overpasses and interchanges,

falling upon the tanks

and upon the toes of those

tank commanders.

Falling upon the descendants

of General Joseph E. Johnston

and his long-tailed horse.

Falling upon the hatred,

the lies, the greed

of the post-modern age.

X equals the man with the M1 Carbine peeking through the curtains and through our souls

X equals the strength of a thousand whispers gaining volume and power

X equals the chickens all coming home to roost after a long day in Dallas

X equals the last stop on the drive from Omaha to Boston to Dearborn to Harlem and north to Washington Heights where that treacherous gunman had his day and his way

X equals the knowledge that the ballot is better than the bullet but that the bullet is better than nothing at all

X equals the red-headed giant praying at the Great Mosque of Mecca

X equals the times we have turned on the news and asked, “What the fuck is wrong with this nation of ours?”

X equals the silent sound of G-Men listening on the other end of the line

X equals the sum of nutmeg, reefer, and unity

X equals the undertaking of the Hajj while being fully aware that it is only required of people who are physically and financially able to do it

X equals the long index finger of Ilyasah Shabazz pointed directly at Minister Louis Farrakhan and speaking truth to power

X equals the end of COINTELPRO and the rolling over in a grave upon realizing we are again in the throes of another counter intelligence program

X equals the sudden realization that “throes” is spelled with an “E” not a “W”

X equals all of the times you laughed in the face of hatred, violence, and death because crying is just too hard

X equals the music of the shattering glass and the shards falling to impale the floorboards as we go on listening to Kate Smith, Perry Cuomo, Celine Dion, and Johnny Mercer

X equals the impalement itself

X equals the taste of peanut butter when everyone wants you to enjoy plain white bread

X equals the need to stand and fight

X equals all of those who stood and fought to make a better world

X equals Alex Padilla face down in handcuffs while democracy slowly fades away

X equals the number of civilian deaths in Palestine, Israel, Iran, Sudan, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Ypsilanti

X equals all thirty-nine years of struggle and determination

X equals the demand for freedom… by any means necessary