until blood is spilt

“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.” -Mohandas Gandhi

when one stands up against injustice

when one spits in the face of those that oppress &

shows not one ounce of fear in their eyes

often, if fortunate, standing amidst others who have come to

the same conclusion,

at first, it is like a joke being told at a comedy club

where there isn’t even a drink minimum---

for the need for customers is so drastic,

the club doesn’t want to ruffle any feathers by

asking at least that as a price for sitting all night

under a roof & listening to comedy.

 

as the plague of convention

spreads like the contagion that it so blatantly is,

more come to the conclusion of the initially brave

(and to many, thought to be the initially “insane”)---

people begin to see that things are being done wrong to them

as well,

and suddenly, because others have already put their lives on the line

in order to lock arms & fight

what they no longer think can be ignored,

this kindling gives way to a larger fire

which soon spreads on its own,

counteracting the wall of poisonous status-quo, complacence &

all out submission to the will of those that

feel that they are unstoppable,

offering not a crumb to the individuals challenging them &

still, the seriousness of the matter is not fully understood

by those which have become desensitized to any possibility of

actual change in their lifetime.

 

as the fire continues to grow & spread, becoming fiercer with

every gust of wind, ever new addition to the flames,

those that felt unstoppable begin to question their own ability

to crush the fire,

if they deem it out of hand,

that is, if their kingdom is on the fringe of being

invaded---

and it will come,

the bludgeoning of the spreading fire will be one of never before seen

ferocity,

for examples have to be made,

in order for those in power to prove that they still have power &

blood will be spilt, in fact,

blood is being spilt as this writer types

(little puddles now, written off as “unruly dissidents,” only foreshadowing a river of blood leading to a vast ocean).

 

it is the spilling of blood which ignites the last few,

those that thought it would all blow over &

that their lives could stay pretty much the same,

if they just stuck it out---

when friends, relatives and neighbors begin to bleed,

be it through destruction of property, incarceration, injury or death,

the once comfortable are forced to open their eyes &

decide which side they're on.