Gently Now
by Kimmy Guigard

I bear no peculiar story of my birth,
I have uprooted and replanted myself far too many times.
Learned that I could grow even unto concrete, even
unto sand. But the winds turn violently louder

time after time after time.

Our ocean holding the debts we made,
As we force to keep up with the race playing the wrong pace,
Turn a blind eye, try to save face and falsify grace.

When will we remember?

I beg that we dig deep into our past—
Past beyond the graves of our bravest hearts
Past beyond the suffering of our stolen lands

I beg that we recall, to cultivate what’s ours
I beg that we look back, to protect what is ahead
I beg that we act now, to breath life back to our soils
To change our tales, I beg that we live gently now.