I should like to welcome the new year with open arms
Give in to the luxury of hope
That soon the deadly virus will be vanquished
New leaders will restore our country to honor
We will be able to hug our loved ones and gather in celebration
It is so tempting to sit back and enjoy the respite
Rest in my privilege
Pretend that life can go on as it was before this moment of reckoning
Forget the sacrifices that have been made
On the backs of those who have always carried our burdens
But my heart will not let me
Not while low-wage workers continue to be exploited to serve our needs
Not while Black and Brown people are lost to racist policing and violence
Not while poor children fall behind in their studies
And poor families are evicted from their homes while the wealthy eat cake
When will we learn the lessons of Wonder Woman II
Diana’s warning that a wish that does not reflect truth
Will always come with a price
And that price may very well be too high to pay
We cannot afford to sit back and enjoy the moment bought by deception
So I throw my hope into the burning embers of justice
Transform it into action
Raise my voice and open my purse strings
To once and for all eradicate the scourge of entrenched privilege and power
That has brought us to our knees and led us to this place of despair
As the new year dawns with hope for some
Let us seize the momentum to transform that into justice for all
For without justice our promise of hope is just a hollow shell
Waiting to be seized by the next demagogue with empty promises and veiled threats
And from that we may never recover.
