written dec 13 1997, sat, week of exams (don't ask) "I saw God in the streets" She was carrying a banner saying "Free Mumia Abu-Jamal" With one hand and the other passing out leaflets to passersby Smiling. Even at the car drivers who rolled down their windows, gave her the finger or hurtfully intoned, "let him burn!". Smiling with a tinge of sorrow. I heard her chanting Still chanting, after all these years not needing no bullhorn to be heard an old but good one making it sound unique with each piercing syllable, shattering the silence of the day "No Justice, No Peace!" with her gravely voice that had led one, "that say cut back we say fight back!" too many and a tongue (and lungs) who had tasted more than Indiana's (though far less than California's) share of pepper spray, courtesy of the federal police state She was beautiful It was beautiful every single one of us were beautiful with our flowing long hair, our glowing eyes and a determined and hopeful smile on our lips Even the straight-laced sectarians, sparts, with their newspapers looked all right!! Imagine the whole street filled with gods! People were crying, screaming, smiling, hugging, yelling, loving, eating, talking, screaming, and even listening. A gigantic communal organism overflowing the city and overflowing each others' minds. evolving We didn't have palm branches but the leaves off the city sidewalk trees softened our jubilated march as that day we brought peace, with a tinge of justice downtown and made the glass towers of babylon echo (ECHO EcHo echo...) our cries, if only for a fleeting moment We even drowned out the elevator sub-carrier christmas music much to many a low- paid retailer clerk's relief Shoppers stalled in the streets overburdened by packaging worrying about last minute material gifts to fill empty relationships, worrying about the traffic jam we were creating... and (we were) enjoying! A couple of them looked to us, listened, and you could almost reach out and touch it. For it was there. A star sparkled overhead, one alone bright enough to be seen over city lights, leading us on. I looked back to the head of the march, to catch the look on her face. But God was gone. Through the corner of my eye I made out the back of her head as she went limp and some men grabbed her, crushing her walkie talkie underfoot while dragging her away. ack, the pain! a cry sounded as she something caught on her eyebrow ring her girl friend and a couple people with armbands and orange jackets swarmed round trying to do something. do something! we should. but they all kind of just faded away a van sped off and we walked on. and we walked slow maybe it was the wind picking up? maybe the last twenty minutes of walking on fresh snow had reached peoples' feet and minds had once again turned to the things we too often do and know we must do? "free mumia abu-jamal, abolish the racist death penalty" wasn't ringing like it should and normally did maybe it was people buttoning up their jackets and closing themselves on the inside? shoppers were once more ignorant, trying to buy before closing time, and balking at any attempts to give them flyers with grimaces worthy of a white Scrooge a couple people started chanting, "off the pig!" but nothing was 'on' and so we said our parting good-byes and left, knowing that we wouldn't be seeing each other on tv or in the newspapers knowing that God was as God is, in jail, again racking up another charge on her sinless but criminal record "assaulting an officer with a chant" --what a charge! outstanding from a month ago at that, and only now enforced! maybe she'll teach them about hypocrisy for their present? knowing that she'll be released, and I'll find her again, and again, in the streets knowing that we're going to need her and others, many more others praying for shes and hes, young and vibrant born into a new world in the month following Christmas with hearts burning, eyes glowing, and fists pumping in the sky! dreaming and building an upside down kin-dom yet to come perhaps perhaps it'll be so perhaps even here of all places? on behalf of God, Abbie "stop the '_______!'" Hoffman, all the people (maybe some I knew?) who got pepper sprayed last month at the APEC summit in Vancouver at the University of British Columbia a 15 minute cycle from my home, a not-yet- started ND student activist group comin' in january, the 3000 people spending christmas on death row, and those who would overthrow a state that does such a cruel thing: HAVE A _________ and __________ CHRISTMAS! ps: was this better than a card, or what? a) yes b) no c) yes, but___________ d) no, but ______________ e) I like answering 'e' even if i always get marked wrong pps: title borrowed from David Romano's essay: "I saw America in the Streets" in High School Revolutionaries ppps: needs editing, yes, but not as much as my take homes.