Things falling apart, the center must hold on

Things Falling Apart, Be the Center

Michael Sedano

Raza are walking around with a dazed expression on their faces over the revelations of rape and sexual abuse by Cesar E. Chavez. The Chavez family’s response acknowledged their abject dismay and acknowledged the man’s crimes. That should put a finis to the controversy and remove the term “alleged” from the public discussion.

But no. Conspiracy theorists are writing crap like “why now?” and their addled readers scream “Yeah!” because, why not? Numerous writers jump into the fray rehashing the same ground as if repetition will make the truth less hurtful to themselves; their discourse contributes little to public knowledge and can have a deleterious impact on the writer's peace. Pax, gente, let us find the center and gather together.

It’s been a horrid week changing street signs, renaming schools, feeling shame for being duped. But that’s not all that’s falling apart.

The poetry community, too, has gotten entangled in pedo that may have been kicked off by the Chavez debacle. Over in Texas, a poet announces she’s pulling her book from Flowersong Press. Why? The announcement hints at dark news without sharing it. Pulling a book is a big deal. Flowersong Press is a big deal, among the nation's premier publishers of poetry.

In Southern California, another poet writes to describe a man’s abuse by his common-law wife. Stomach-turning examples of the man’s suffering--a noted poet-- get exacerbated by a group of “mean girl poets” whose presence at readings has some influence on the poetry community. Subversives chip away at the solid foundation that has grown since movimiento days. The movement lives, and it requires affirmation, reaffirmation, purification. Not the crap that's so easily penned and posted.

Things are falling apart. Mean girls, icons, bad stuff hinted at, conspiracy theories, rejectors of truth; these people are filled with passionate intensity. They’re not the worst—those are the MAGATs who rub their hands in gleeful schadenfreude seeing beautiful raza and allies cohesion being torn apart.

And what about the Epstein files? And a meaningless attack on Iran?

Things fall apart. Our best don’t lack conviction, and we are not whelmed by the crap these worst-of-us scatter into the winds hoping to ignite a conflagration, seeking to hold onto clearly failed hero worship, or simply to hear the sound of their own words.

Things come together when people make them come together. This is poetry month and the month of International Women’s Day. Poetry is a way of observing, making sense, being heard, of finding beauty and truth even as things fall apart.

A recent Saturday reading at the appropriately named El Tranquilo Gallery in the heart of Los Angeles’ Olvera Street, finds these truths to be evident if not self-evident. Four poets and a small audience gather to share longer poems celebrating womanhood, antipatriarchical insights, joy and protest in the context of love, not division. The afternoon’s readings offer not only respite but medicine.

La Bloga-Tuesday was there with camera in hand and would love to have some of the work to share in an online Floricanto. Ni modo. Poetry readings are meant to be seen and heard in person. These portraits of the writers capture key moments of expression by four superb writers and performers. They include Jennifer Baptiste, Rio Diaz, and Andrea Lee. Lupe Montiel, organized the event.  

The gallery walls create an arresting ambiente for the reading. The show, “She Rises, Women of Strength and Beauty,” curated by Ginette Rondeau, features women artists whose work exemplifies the exhibition’s title. In fact, the poets read in front of a large Margaret Garcia canvas that reflects the strength and beauty of the words and the readers themselves.

Portrait Gallery in the Gallery

Jennifer Baptiste

Rio Diaz

Andrea "Coach" Lee

Lupe Montiel