See Them Rise by Anca Vlasopolos

“I see dead people voting” on a sign held by a trump

supporter after the 2020 election

hear soundless clatter

under the Atlantic

from Africa and Europe’s shores

bones rise make chains of wrists loose phalanges

the other chains long fallen rotting in silence on the ocean floor

bones huge and tiny those thrown

like refuse overboard

those turned away from these shores back to the hunts

to transubstantiate them into no more

than smoke

they rise

to join those lying in mass graves

slaughtered for rising

slaughtered for not dying off

slaughtered for entertainment and fun postcards

slaughtered because

some mother gave baby boy a high-powered gun

the dead stand equal in death’s blanchment of the bones

wrists loose phalanges chains

unbreakable

yes

these behind in front around

inside each one of us

all rise all hold us up

to vote

Anca Vlasopolos has authored eight books, of which four are poetry collections. She has over 300 poems and short stories in literary magazines. She spent her career in Detroit, MI, and now lives on Cape Cod, MA. Links to her work and more information about her life are at http://www.vlasopolos.com. She is also on Facebook and Twitter.