by Adrienne Rich

In those years, people will say, we lost track
of the meaning of we, of you
we found ourselves
reduced to I
and the whole thing became
silly, ironic, terrible:
we were trying to live a personal life
and yes, that was the only life
we could bear witness to

But the great dark birds of history screamed and plunged
into our personal weather
They were headed somewhere else but their beaks and pinions drove
along the shore, through the rags of fog
where we stood, saying I

*

I have so little time for writing and reflecting right now – between work, playing music and dealing with family loss. But this poem, it captures this moment. It especially captures the fall of the USA with its fixation on individualism and personal preference, as if these were great goods. I never wanted to be here when capitalism fell, but if I have to be, I will think of all the great things to come. As the old, broken-down world falls away and new life emerges, green and fresh smelling, unfolding through the cracks.