“there are no boring people which is unfortunate. You'd think statistically we'd get at least a few— one-speed souls with just meh stuff to do. But none of them are dull. Each— a suitcase held together by duct tape.” PoetryStrengthPoemBoredomProtestFragilityProtestorsBoring People Author:Ilya Kaminsky
“Author's Prayer If I speak for the dead, I must leave this animal of my body, I must write the same poem over and over for the empty page is a white flag of their surrender. If I speak of them, I must walk on the edge of myself, I must live as a blind man who runs through the rooms without touching the furniture. Yes, I live. I can cross the streets asking "What year is it?" I can dance in my sleep and laugh in front of the mirror. Even sleep is a prayer, Lord, I will praise your madness, and in a language not mine, speak of music that wakes us, music in which we move. For whatever I say is a kind of petition and the darkest days must I praise.” Poetry Book:Dancing in Odessa Source: Dancing in Odessa
“This is not a good year. But it has witnesses. When you see them protest the powerful, since who else does, they stand like flagpoles outside the courthouse after a northeaster. They came with the wrong shoes for revolution. Still, they showed up.” PoetryRevolutionPoemProtestNormal PeoplePower To The PeopleEveryday PeopleRegular People Author:Ilya Kaminsky
“And when they bombed other people’s houses, we protested but not enough, we opposed them but not enough. I was in my bed, around my bed America was falling: invisible house by invisible house by invisible house. I took a chair outside and watched the sun. In the sixth month of a disastrous reign in the house of money in the street of money in the city of money in the country of money, our great country of money, we (forgive us) lived happily during the war.” WarHappinessPoetryWealthPoemGuiltPrivilegeOpposition Book:Deaf Republic Source: Deaf Republic
“I saw my people lean— not toward hope but toward each other.” PoetryHopeChangeSupportPoemProtestActivistsMoral SupportProtestors Author:Ilya Kaminsky
