Patience

(a poem)

"Be patient.
Change will come,"
says the one whose
privilege affords them
the luxury
of never having to wait
for anything.

If patience
means waiting
idly
while others
do the work
or
don't do the work
on their own schedule
when time
and convenience
allow,
then
no thanks.

There is
no time
for that.

If patience
means wishful
thinking
of how things
could be
in the perfect world
of someone else's
imagination
filled with
"if only's"
and
"maybe someday's",
then
no thanks.

There is
no time
for that.

If patience
means the knowledge
that change,
real change,
lasting change
comes through
difficult
demanding
work
right now
and again
tomorrow
and again
the next day
persistently
demanding
justice,
mercy,
healing,
equality,
opportunity,
access,
through
knocking on doors,
standing up,
sitting in,
signing up,
protesting,
preaching,
singing,
shouting,
walking hand in hand,

then
yes . . .

let's
join our voices
our lives
with the ones
who began the work
long
long ago.

For now
is the time
for patience
such as this.