Winter In My Heart

I’m in Bangkok dressed in shorts, awakened by roosters and morning birds sweetly singing in the day. Soon I will stand again in my home of homes, in a circle with teachers, eager and ready to joyfully play, sing and dance some jazz together. So far away from the American wintry ice and the American murderous ICE, but Minnesota is on my mind and entering my heart. 

 

Here, as we sing an African American ring play with the refrain “Remember me,” I’m holding Renee Good and Alex Pretti in my heart. I imagine them holding hands with those in the Other World who have been brutally murdered by the American nightmare. I imagine a small wave of comfort coming their way when we here left behind are remembering them and working on their behalf to bring the Beast to its knees. 

 

But none of them, not a single one, would have chosen to be a martyr to remembrance. Given a choice they should have had but didn’t, they would certainly have chosen to keep living out the full measure of their days, finding their own way through all the joys and sorrows of a human life. They would have much preferred to wake up tomorrow, enjoy their breakfast, talk with friends and family, walk in the park, listen to their favorite music. If you need any reminders that the wild dog-pack of injustice is roaming free on the streets and murderers and their enablers still get to see another day, with no better plan than to see who they can hurt or harm next, well, here it is.

 

How I wish Renee, Alex, George and Breonna and so many others unjustly executed could have attended my class today and joined in the jubilation of people making music together, lifted up into their playful childlike selves. I think they would have enjoyed that so much more than simply being a passing thought of remembrance in our song. 

 

Perhaps I’ll meet them someday in the Other World and we can all sing together.  But I’m not counting on. That’s why we need to make Heaven right here, right now, and make sure everyone can come join the singing circle. 

 

They all deserved to live. Each and everyone. They deserved to live.