People stand by during attack of elderly Asian woman – Associated Press
Did you catch a whiff of lilac
on that warm summer eve
while we gathered at the bus stop,
each wandering our mind?
Out the corner of your eye
did you flinch, did you see him
rushing twilight, pushing rudely in?
In a flash of recognition,
did your stomach tell your throat
what was going down?
Did you see my toes curl fetal
while I lay sideways
on the concrete stunned?
Did you freeze in fear and horror?
Did you look the other way?
Did you reach down for your phone
or was it already in your hand?
Were you scared to intervene?
Did your silence cheer him on?
Was it you who kneeled down
and whispered something kind
I didn’t understand?
Did you see my bruised face on TV?
Did they say my name?
Did they even try?
Copyright © Deborah Jang. All rights reserved.
Deborah Jang’s creative practices include assemblage sculpture and poetry, based out of Denver, Colorado and Oceanside, California. Her debut poetry collection is titled Float True (Shanti Arts, 2020). Her new chapbook is Last Will and Best Guesses (Finishing Line Press, 2022). deborahjang.com
