Today was May Day. This was a sign left over from the massive rally and march that took place here during the day—I’m not sure how so many could take the day off work, but I’m glad. I, however, joined the after-hours crew for the 5 o’clock shift at a much smaller rally. I even got to use a bullhorn after all these years.
Here’s a little from what I had to say today:
Looking around, I want to cry out in the words of Alfred Hayes, who wrote:
Into the streets May First!
Into the roaring Square!
Shake the midtown towers!
Shatter the downtown air!But those words don’t feel right on a Thursday afternoon after clocking out for the day. Hey worker! They won’t even give you this day! The whole world marches on May First, but the boss class in this country won’t even give you that. Instead, you get some random day in September when you’re not supposed to wear white or some such nonsense.
But that’s okay! Because the First of May is less about raising the red banner and more about putting your hammers and your sickles DOWN.
It’s about reminding ourselves before anyone else that, in the words of a leading comrade of our party:
“Not a wheel turns, not a phone rings, not a light bulb shines without the kind permission of the working class! Once this enormous power is mobilized, no force on earth can stop it.” (Ted Grant)
HEY WORKER! That’s you! That’s us.
It’s been a rough couple of weeks for me. Yesterday sucked, but today was a little better. I am feeling more and more at home in my brain. And I’m also very tired of explaining it to others.
I quoted another poet in my little May Day spiel who said: power is the law. It’s so sonorous in Turkish. Kuwwetedir hak. Power is the law. Hakkını haksızlara anlat. Go explain that to those who do wrong.
Here is a series of images from this time.
And here is a song I like very much as well:
Out of hand
but within my grasp—
The sensation passes
after thirty lashes.Motivate
me to be awake—
It’s a make or break
but I’m mostly feelingIll at ease
Ill at ease