Texting Frantz Fannon

the cafes are forgotten, the arguments about elections,
the spitefulness of some cop or other
ears that hear wind through the trees
eyes that see the broken shacks
time has been wasted on the colonial regime,
liberation only to be seen in terms of violence
in terms of neighborhood struggle
in terms of armed struggle
 
militants running from the police
learn the hard lessons of the people
peasants bowed too long
generous, and ready to sacrifice
driven by stony pride
rebels by instinct,
swelling into the villages
to test the strength of their own muscles
to push the leaders into action
 
the militants in turn tutor the people
in ways political and military
 
the second-in-commands,
the rank and file proletariat
foot soldiers for intellectuals & consolationists
no longer, no longer willing to absorb rebellion

*** please see the author's note in the comments ***