ICE Cold

... things are heating up

Photo by Julia Taubitz on Unsplash

It’s been a terrible month so far in this country. I never thought I would see such atrocities happen here. But here we are.

I joined the Stafford Challenge to write a poem a day this year. Here are two from this week.

Poem January 23, 2026

Every day my heart breaks

Every day a new horror

Every day more innocent people

are shot or beaten

or sent thousands of miles

from home

from loved ones.

No one is safe

when a five year old boy

is used to lure his father

out the door and they’re

both shipped off somewhere.

Today it was a two year old girl

and her father.

Last week a lesbian mom

was shot in the face

as she tried to follow orders

and after she said

I’m not mad at you.

Now we’re told they

don’t need warrants

to enter our homes.

First they came for ...

we all know the poem.

We are not saying nothing,

we are shouting,

we are not heard.

But we hear the jackboots

marching toward our doors.

Poem January 25 2026

Mourning

When our own government is murdering citizens

on our streets, even as we protest

the horrors we see with our own eyes

When crying, screaming,

rending our garments in grief

and rage

When our fear turns to fight

How can we mourn?

We will mourn by crying, screaming

rending our garments in grief

and rage

As we raise our voices

As we raise our signs

As we raise our friends and neighbors

From their own grief and fear

We will unite as one.

And we will prevail.