we had plans

didn’t we?

composed and ready to be orchestrated

but when those cold cruel notes

came in sounding like a fire drill

instead of a curated melody

we had to pivot

our slip proof Timbs transformed

into ice skates and we were off

gliding and slipping and sliding

on a never-ending trail of ice

that appeared suddenly beneath our feet

we were now imbalanced

unstable on wobbly legs

looking for someone to save us

but the leaders were asleep

once aroused they couldn’t

keep up with the rhythm

their jazz sounded like gibberish

the cadence of this foolish cavalry was clownish

we were left alone

to find our way out

of this novel darkness

it mocked and threatened

us at every turn

ripping the life right out of us

and those we loved

disillusioned and depressed

we barely noticed

the music had stopped

the silence that followed was brief

and a new sound filled the air

the words were somewhat discernible

but they played on a backwards loop

as we tried to decipher the lines

some of us became masked crusaders

these super saviors had a different plan

a new world order of epic proportions

those once thought less than

now had the greatest responsibilities

those learning and working

mostly behind pixilated screens

and separated

began to see the true value and beauty

of the beings we took for granted

we learned

leaders were irrelevant

we are the superpower

in the face of this new threat and an old one

that constantly seeks to divide and conquer us all

by tearing precious fruit from colorful vines

only simple things would save us

compassion

consideration

unity

love and Revolution if needed

but these are hard to conjure for the deplorables

blessedly they are outnumbered and so

the old guard must go

their statues of hate thrown to the ground

and tossed into the sea

or housed far away from view

the tainted leader and his minions

are on the way out

cast aside by newly courted voters

who were told their voices mattered

they showed up and out in huge numbers

a new duo will take over,

but they have their own baggage

and a huge mess to clean up

our masked crusaders are

not out of the woods yet

even though samples of a new solution

are now flooding the land

some are still in doubt

and doing what they want

instead of what’s needed but…

through all of the loss, bad leadership and chaos

we are coming out on the other side

a lot of us stood tall together

and protected one another

with our selfless actions, phone calls

and text messages

and video chats and therapy sessions

and safe trips

filled with laughter and love

there is hope to be had

and if you listen closely

you can hear a new song being played

softly in the distance

it’s pure and clear

and one day we’ll all

listen together

with no more need

to be masked crusaders

We.

The Super.

And Powerful.

As One.

© 2020, TamekaMullins. All rights reserved.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.