The Low Road

The Low Road
by Marge Piercy 

 
What can they do 

to you? Whatever they want. 

They can set you up, they can 

bust you, they can break 

your fingers, they can 

burn your brain with electricity, 

blur you with drugs till you 

can’t walk, can’t remember, they can 

take your child, wall up 

your lover. They can do anything 

you can’t stop them 

from doing. How can you stop 

them? Alone, you can fight, 

you can refuse, you can 

take what revenge you can 

but they roll over you. 

But two people fighting 

back to back can cut through 

a mob, a snake-dancing file 

can break a cordon, an army 

can meet an army. 

Two people can keep each other 

sane, can give support, conviction, 

love, massage, hope, sex. 

Three people are a delegation, 

a committee, a wedge. With four 

you can play bridge and start 

an organization. With six 

you can rent a whole house, 

eat pie for dinner with no 

seconds, and hold a fund-raising party. 

A dozen make a demonstration. 

A hundred fill a hall. 

A thousand have solidarity and your own newsletter; 

ten thousand, power and your own paper; 

a hundred thousand, your own media; 

ten million, your own country. 

 It goes on one at a time, 

it starts when you care 

to act, it starts when you do 

it again after they said no, 

it starts when you say We 

and know who you mean, and each 

day you mean one more.