By Amanda Johnston

“I need you. I need y’all’s help. I can’t do this by myself.”
– Sandra Bland

Can you hear it? A faint whisper at first
trickling in from the ether. A cool hush
against your heart. Be still. Listen
to the words flicker, I need you. You,
not some other doer busy with the living.
You, of heart and spirit, can you hear
Sandy speak? It’s louder now, burrowing
through your spine. Can you feel it
pull you to your feet, feet to pavement
from Illinois to New York, from Waller County
to Austin, Texas? This work, this woman.
You’ve seen her in the market, on the street.
She is your sister, your friend, your reflection
pinned against the mirror. A crack across
the glass meant for you to swallow. Spit
back. Answer the call. Say her name.
Carry it forward into a new world.