zuccotti and wildlife preserve in poetry

before you can occupy Wall Street
Washington or the nearest city hall
you gotta sit and scream inside the
borders of your mind’s own city park
you gotta occupy your own damn heart
gotta mic check what you wanna say
you gotta hear yourself repeat it
you gotta find out if you mean it
you’re not doing it for your health
you gotta find out what you need
to protest that is inside yourself
hold banners high against that too
set up a tent within the living zoo
that is your consciousness
that maybe even is your soul
you gotta shrug off the truncheons
of the cops within your own dark hole
before you really know
what you can sit in or
what you can stand for

I’m not saying I have this down myself
but I’m getting there
still I’m far enough along my own path
to see others struggling and wanna help
there’s something to be said
for even giving it a start
raise a chant against the inequities within
occupy your own damn heart