The Low Road

The Low Road   a poem by Marge Piercy

What can they do
to you? Whatever they want.
They can set you up, they can
bust you, they can break
your fingers, they can
burn your brain with electricity,
blur you with drugs till you
can t walk, can’t remember, they can
take your child, wall up
your lover. They can do anything
you can’t blame them
from doing. How can you stop
them? Alone, you can fight,
you can refuse, you can
take what revenge you can
but they roll over you.

But two people fighting
back to back can cut through
a mob, a snake-dancing file
can break a cordon, an army
can meet an army.

Two people can keep each other
sane, can give support, conviction,
love, massage, hope, sex.
Three people are a delegation,
a committee, a wedge. With four
you can play bridge and start
an organisation. With six
you can rent a whole house,
eat pie for dinner with no
seconds, and hold a fund raising party.
A dozen make a demonstration.
A hundred fill a hall.
A thousand have solidarity and your own newsletter;
ten thousand, power and your own paper;
a hundred thousand, your own media;
ten million, your own country.

It goes on one at a time,
it starts when you care
to act, it starts when you do
it again after they said no,
it starts when you say We
and know who you mean, and each
day you mean one more.

Download a PDF of this poem 

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[Kent]

"They called yesterday"
"Who called"
"They didn't say"
"What did they want"
"They said to proceed"
"With what"
"They didn't say"
"Call them back"
"And tell them what"
"Tell them we need more money"

[Karilee]

I've always loved Marge Piercy's poetry. Thanks for reminding me of this one.

[Leigh]

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[Steph]

Love it!

This poem reminds me of a simpler one that I've always loved called "One Man Awake."

----
One Man Awake

One man awake awakens another,
The second awakens his next door neighbor,
And three awake can rouse the town,
and turn the whole place upside down.
And many awake can raise such a fuss,
That it finally awakens the rest of us.
One man up with dawn in his eyes - multiplies.

Author Unknown
----

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