The Trampled Woman

A poem dedicated to a survivor of police brutality and a reminder to advocate for non-violence

The trampled woman
was shouting “peace”
in the midst of war,
her heart near-bleeding
for a world not yet born.

She is a seer
A voice for the forced,
for the voiceless,
for the unified.

The woman
was shouting “peace”
at the police at war with the people,
with themselves, with their callous orders.

Police upon their horses
trampled this woman
hooves made merciless,
eyes distant,
minds amended by authority.

Leaving this woman
fallen from her walker
differently abled,
able to ache with us all.

“Look what you did to her!”
“Look what you did!”
the young man behind the phone camera shouts.
“Shame on you!”

Shame on you, too,
if you are shunning this trampled woman.

Shame on you
for averting your eyes
from the obliteration,

for without truth,
there can be no justice

and without eyes wide open,
justice cannot be made divine.

Let your limbs quake like this trampled woman.

This woman is me.
This woman is you.
This woman is all of us.

***

Written on Feb. 23, 2022, this poem is dedicated to Candice Sero who was trampled by police on horses in Ottawa, the evening of Friday, Feb. 18 at the Freedom Convoy. Suffering from a broken clavicle, she is still alive.

Candice “Candy” Sero is reportedly a Mohawk elder who lives in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory in Hastings County, Ontario: https://ground.news/article/woman-trampled-by-trudeaus-forces-during-freedom-protest-identified-as-indigenous-elder

Footage of the scene: https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1494850496196407296?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5E

Note: It has been brought to attention that she was holding a white flag or a white shawl on her walking assist device — a symbol of peace.