Children of the Flower Children

Children of the Flower Children

We are the children

of the flower children

coming into full bloom

The seeds of their hope

rise up in our colorful bones

We cut our teeth on their resistance

We were then a people unwilling

to accept an invented narrative

with fighting cloaked in peace

We dread times like these

We spend our lives

trying to prevent the need for revolt

We would much rather grow food

and call the circle to gather

Rather play with children out in the parks

Our energies are miss-spent

on trying to protect the precious lives

when there has been so much intentional loss

Even as we plant our seeds,

they are tearing up the ground

and poisoning the water

Our grandparents could drink the water,

our grandchildren cannot

What else do we need to know about times like these?

They changed the roadway in front of my little old house

One of the last old houses for miles

Now there’s a freeway here

Most of the birds have gone

and street lights shine into almost every window at night

instead of the trees that used to stand here

the big semi brakes are squeeling the 4 am beginning of light

No way to stop it now

Yet there’s good news here

because the oranges are almost ready

and roses are early blooming

In truth I never stopped putting flowers in my hair

But now flowers in my hair is an act of resistance

In solidarity with my Ancestors

There are over 100 wars now

I refuse to be a part of a war

The one that we are fighting here

Here in this nation it is just heating up

this one continues on

for the battle of our minds

I shall use my time well

in these coming years

For I am called to gather us

I could use my life force

to dismantle the patriarchy brick by brick

But I think I’ll call a circle instead

We will put flowers in our hair

We can already see what’s going on

We will Organize with Love at the center of our choices

Here's the best news I can dream of

This will be a time of great poetry and storytelling

and songs and marches and depth conversations

and paintings that speak to the future we believe in

We will be here with you gathering flowers

and pouring the strong tea of revolution

and laughing our asses off as often as possible

Let us speak the language of flowers,

for we are the children

of the flower children

As the daughter of a poet,

my pen must be aflame

with the beauty of justice and kinship

Soon I will find my voice

and until then I will speak

the language of flowers

Shiloh Sophia