Blood and Rage
Two poems of love and resistance

by Peter Hardie
Liberation Road is pleased to publish two poems by founding Liberation Road member and movement leader Peter Hardie.
Palestine
rubble and olive trees hospitals and aid stations underlined in blood teeth, fingers, body parts a slow disappearing of life death covering everything like the concrete dust too many names too many unnamed too many unfound no pretense of sanity, or humanity death’s machete large and terrible maiming, spattering blood and bits of bone on our faces, sharpening itself on our indifference. time now to remember our heart, to mourn, to resist the warmongers, to uncover the world of humans, and the home of Spirit.
Tamir
No twelve year old black boy will be understood— this world, this world is not that clever. he now aloft where you fear and hope, where you dream. is he joyful? do not ask, lest the moment be lost like blood in a playground and police testimonies, or like love. where ancestors plot he now grows, finally no revenge, no anger he is buddha smiling the tears of his parents falling without sound, divining paths for you. what gun what hoodie what down jacket what madness what world we we are at sea rage our light and compass what twelve year old is this? Tamir is God. and if not there is only fire.
Peter Hardie is a veteran member of Liberation Road, the trade union movement, the Black liberation movement, and other social movements of the 70s and 80s in the US. He is a poet, father, sailor, Buddhist, and abolitionist.


Wonderful. I'm so glad this substack makes room for culture.