On the Massacre at Kent State

Ran out of tear gas and became panicky,
poor inept kids, and therefore they poured lead
into the other kids and shot them dead,
and now myself and the whole country
are weeping. It’s not a matter of degree,
not less not more than the Indo-Chinese slaughtered,
it is the same; but mostly folk are shattered
by home truths (as I know who lost my boy).

I am not willing to go on this week
with business as usual, this month this year
let cars slow down and stop and builders break
off building and close up the theater.

Today they have begun to massacre
our own children. Call the soldiers back.

Society exists by the cooperation of people in its business. We cannot continue to cooperate when there begin to be massacres. We here start to refuse to cooperate with the ongoing business of society, and increasingly do so, until we get out of Indo-China. We urge all others to do so within the limits of health and safety.