January 17, 2026

day 371

I wrote two poems today. They follow along the same theme. I can’t decide which one to post. And because I hate having to choose, I choose both. I am distressed by what I’m seeing from Minnesota. And the vicious added insult to injury wielded by our unhinged, vindictive government. I read that they are here in our town too. Someone recorded them, posting a warning to us on social media platforms. No one is safe.


heartbeats

a pulse detected 
means very different things
to different people
to some it’s a right to life
to others, countdown to death 
the dearest price paid
oftentimes by women,
by mothers denied 
healthcare and autonomy
to assuage fragile man-boys 
with power to choose
which heartbeat deserves to live
women, mere vessels,
repositories for sperm,
expendable, when too loud

(this poem follows the pattern of a trio of tankas)

——————————————————————————————-

when the worst thing isn’t
 
it snowed at dawn
for only a few minutes
no delicate flakes, just
pellets of ice
tap, tap, tapping on the frozen ground
there’s more to the story they say
the talking heads and daily scrolls
horrible truth bleeding out…
there was a faint heartbeat 
when they found her, precious time
stolen by hateful thugs who let her die
the tap, tap, tapping of a pure heart
broken by malevolence and hate
a kind voice silenced by
pellets of ice

~kat