By Laura Hershey

We are taught not
to gamble.
Perhaps it is thought we have lost
enough already—legs, vision, speech,
the typical use
of our bodies.
Others’ fears would teach us
to cringe at any thought
of any risk.
Disability and risk
don’t mix.
Risk is something
we are supposed to be protected from—
by agencies, by professionals—
by parents, by doctors—
by invisibility,
by shame—
by confinement if necessary.
We must be kept safe: This is one of the lies
which fills the beds
of the so-called “homes.”

So we embrace the risks
to fight the lies.

This is our gamble:

Minute by minute, city after city—
from the tense beginning to the jubilant or
scattered end
of every protest—
with every rhythmic word of every chant—
at each blocked entrance, each barricade—

with every defiant inch forward—
every move toward
freedom for our people—
any time we raise a fist
or a song
to mean
We’re never going away—
in every confrontation, up and down the length
of the stand-off—
each and every time, we are
testing the humanity
of people who wear a badge,
carry a gun—
and fear our incomprehensible strength.

We know this is
a dangerous test—for some fail as extraordinarily
as others pass.
It is a gamble, risky and promising.
It may pay off
in unmet eyes or a curious stare,
surly dismissals or a question,
dialogue
or bruises.

• Activities
• Living
• Love

Poet Bio

Poet, activist, and author Laura Hershey earned her BA from Colorado College, MFA from Antioch University, and was awarded an honorary doctorate from Colorado College. Recognized as a leader in the movement for disability rights, Hershey was the author of Survival Strategies for Going Abroad: A Guide for People with Disabilities. After Hershey’s death following an unexpected illness in 2010, her partner Robin Stephens told the Denver Post, “She was a genius who lived with disability and lived well.” See More By This Poet

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