Jason Howard Green

Jason Howard Green

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Reflection: Pat Parker - Where Will You Be When They Come

I personally think Pat Parker is one of the greatest poets of the 20th Century (but I may be a bit biased). Listed below is an exert from one of my favorite poems - Where Will You Be When They Come. This poem played an enormous part in shaping my world into one of activism. Her words are like bullets. If you are the target they are going to hurt.
Every time we watched
a queer hassled in the
streets and said nothing --
It was an act of perversion.

Everytime we lied about
the boyfriend or girlfriend
at coffee break --
It was an act of perversion.

Everytime we heard,
"I don't mind gays
but why must they
be blatent?" and said nothing --
It was an act of perversion.

Everytime we let a lesbian mother
lose her child and did not fill
the courtroom --
It was an act of perversion.

Everytime we let straights
make out in our bars while
we couldn't touch because
of laws --
It was an act of perversion.

Everytime we put on the proper
clothes to go to a family
wedding and left our lovers
at home --
It was an act of perversion.

Everytime we heard
"Who I go to bed with
is my personal choice --
It's personal not political"
and said nothing --
It was an act of perversion.

Everytime we let straight relatives
bury our dead and push our
lovers away --
It was an act of perversion.

And they will come.
They will come for
the perverts.

They will come
They will come
to the cities
and to the land
to your front rooms
and in *your* closets.

They will come for
the perverts
and where will
you be?

3 comments:

John Frame said...

You might like to hear Pat Parker reading "Where Will You Be?" at the kickoff rally for the 14th October 1979 March On Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The URL I've nominated takes you to my page where I've set a link to a high quality mp3. I haven't ever seen this recording mentioned anywhere else on the internet, and Pat's own voice adds immeasurable power to her words.

best regards, John Frame, Brisbane, Australia.

EvanJZ said...

Where's the link? I want to hear!

John Frame said...

@ EvanJZ - this blog didn't list the URL, so you'll have to google "pat parker mp3" to find my queerradio.org "downloads" page (it's the first item listed by google). Toward the bottom of that page you'll find the Pat Parker background details for this recording of her reading, as well as a link to the mp3. All the best - John Frame.