title: break glass
content: state-sanctioned violence against citizens

note: If you're unfamiliar with recent events in Portland, Oregon over the last fifty days, I highly recommend this NY Times interview with a local journalist, or following the reporting from The Clypian, South Salem High School's student paper. They're doing an amazing job.


we know how last night's protest went
two miles away, across the river
by the way the air stings
my eyes itch all day
spring allergies all summer long
tear gas clouds drifting our way

violent anarchist graffiti, they say
explaining why they smoke us out
protesters took down a temporary fence
(again) (again) (again) (again)
burned some garbage, gave out food
someone threw rocks, they said

they shot a man in the head
he was holding a sign
suggesting they stop hurting people
they rented vans from Enterprise
and kidnapped people walking down the street
for wearing black. (I wear black.)

all this for spray paint
rocks, taunting, disobedience
They've had to clean it fifty times, they said
photographed their own scrapes and bruises
I rub my eyes, scrawl words on cardboard
THIS IS NOT PEACE