What can you bring her that she hasn’t offered?
What can you say that she hasn’t said?
But says with her fingers light on your neck
Says with eyes dark and moody, offering surprise
Says with silence that lingered too long
Leaving room for an answer
Without words
As the white dress glows transparent
In sunlight like an open soul.
I’ll be taking part in these two upcoming book events with copies of the award-winning Frank Nagler Mysteries.
Daffodils poking yellow heads,
bluebells litter
Roses mere buds.
Fragile crocuses pale purple
Stain the white dress
Waist gathered
Lavender brushed;
chilled skin
drips with honeysuckle
the sweetest water.
Fingers electric
Her touch power on your spine.
Light erupts; engulfed.
Gives to you herself
As open as dawn, bruised as a cloud.
She pours water on your parched soul.
Opens a spring
Says drink.
White dress marching
Hem brown from muddy boots;
Strap loose on fist raised arm
Wave in their face: No!
White dresses marching
Voices one
Not today
Not ever.
Your oppression
No match for my defiance
The moment arrived.
Earth accepted rain
A rose accepted sunlight
Air accepted sound.
A white dress hanging
He accepted her kiss.
Rain draws green from the lawn
Daffodils shoots rise, crocuses cluster;
Feet bare.
Maple buds fall, some to soil.
The dust of red roses.
You run
Gather wet hair behind your head.
White dress clings.
Knees muddy, fingers brown with moist soil
Where you planted life and love.
The wind softens
You finger the light spring rain off a fresh maple bud.
A new white crocus leaves yellow dust on your chin
A petal on a shoulder.
The elegance of you
The challenge of you.
Your being fills the warming air.
Eyes open, breathing deeply.
The world tastes your love and moans.
While the big thinkers are plotting action against Trump and his minions (or pulling their hair out) on Feb. 4 about 100 residents of Hunterdon County, N.J., challenged their very Republican county board to stand up to the Trump ordered ICE raids, like the one in Newark, where people were detained without warrants, including an American from Puerto Rico and an Army veteran
The county greeted Newark Mayor Ras Baraka and leaders of the Hunterdon County NAACP who presented the county commissioners with a request to write a resolution in opposition to the ICE raids and to commit that Hunterdon county law enforcement would not support the federal raids, which they said violate the constitutional right against unlawful search and seizure.
Hunterdon County is an interesting place for such a gathering. It is very rich – the 13th richest county in the U.S. and very Republican.
In 1776, Trenton, where Washington ambushed the Brits, was part of Hunterdon County.
The Hunterdon commissioners are not a bad governing body. It has a lot of money to play with – the property values upon which they base their taxes rise by a millions each year. It is a county government with no debt, and which over the past two years used $24 million from Biden’s American Rescue Plan to help nonprofits and municipalities with numerous projects.
The county also built its first all-inclusive playground and planned a second.
Then, for old times sake and habit, they voted for Trump and the entire GOP team.
Two of the commissioners who faced the residents on Feb. 4 a up for re-election this year and were counting on floating to victory on the crests of the great Trump economy .
Then came the raids, and Trump firing the FBI and USAID, closing down medical and science websites, releasing insurrectionists from Jan. 6 and starting what even the Wall Street Journal called the dumbest trade war ever and allowing Elon Musk and his crew to illegally mess about inside the US Treasury and government personnel files.
So, even then, came the residents.
Wives of immigrant husbands. Husbands of immigrant wives. Jewish granddaughters of Holocaust victims. Business owners whose families came decades ago for the American dream. Business owners afraid for their immigrant workers. Mothers of school kids afraid for their dark skinned friends. Grandsons of Italian grandparents who were harassed and discriminated against because they didn’t speak English. Sons of parents in nursing homes whose staff are hiding. Gay mayors; Hispanic borough councilmen; LGBTQ advocates.
Americans.
Crying, pleading. Resolute.
And angry
Angry
Angry.
Angry at what they see their country becoming.
Angry enough to act.
Angry enough to tell their commissioners to do their job: Live up to their oath of office that had them swear to uphold the constitution.
Do your duty, or maybe, just maybe, quit.
One small meeting in one small town.
But Concord was a small town.
So was Trenton.
And so is Flemington, N.J.
They came to stand in the old courthouse and said, loudly, NO.
The word that starts revolutions.
One stood.
And said no.
Two followed.
Voices raises.
Said
This is not yours to have.
It is ours.
Together.
One stood
And said
Bring these to me.
These hurt and tossed.
Two followed
And said yes,
Come to me
I know your path to this place:
I have walked it.
One stood
And said sing.
There are notes and words for all.
Two said yes.
Then three
