‘It Should’

My Poem

There was a different blog I thought of for today but that one will have to wait.

It’s Orange Shirt Day.

Most of us know the meaning of Orange Shirt Day and if you don’t yet, it would be a good thing to get brushed up on.

Remembering what my late birth Dad shared with me about the horrors of his time attending (er…stolen from his home and forced to endure the unthinkable) at two residential schools — St. Eugene in Cranbrook, B.C. and the Kamloops Residential School — I can’t even.

You’ve read about it. You’ve heard about it.

Whether you choose to acknowledge the happenings and real history of our country…not to mention the ongoing systemic racism we face on a daily basis…they are dark marks on our society that still need to be addressed.

Something isn’t ‘history’ if it is still happening.

Joyce Echaquan.

Have you heard this name? If you haven’t, please take a moment to Google it.

Here is my impromptu poem that I am writing off-the-cuff because I’m really at a loss for any more words tonight:

‘It Should’

Does the truth about our history bother you?- It should

Does hearing about residential schools make you sad?- It should

Does lack of potable water on many reservations make you mad?- It should

Does watching videos like Joyces’ make you uncomfortable?- It should

Do you know about any of what I am talking about in this blog?- You should.

-Becky