I would like to submit this poem about the events at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6.
Look into their eyes
That anger
Practically radiating off them
I hope it’s not as infectious as the disease they refuse to believe in
Watch the way they move
Muscles tense
Chins up
Afraid, so sure they are doing the right thing
They pull their bodies past the voice in their head
Telling them that they are on the wrong side
Past their relatives who they refused to listen to
Past the little inconsistencies in the stories that they cling to
They cross the line
Break through the windows
Once they have crossed it there is no going back
They make proof of themselves sitting at other people desks
Hang flags of bloody history
Disrespect ancient architecture
Anger clouds their vision
They are afraid
That is anger at its core
When you take away their weapons
They are quivering children
Afraid that this country is changing
Afraid that they will lose what they stole
All those years ago
How do we convince them that they are safe?
How do we show them that the country is changing for them?
That if they continue on their path
They risk losing this world for all of us
Look into their eyes
We are not seeing the same world anger where their irises once were
Tell them that they are safe
Amrita Rutter
Amherst
The writer is a student at Amherst Regional High School.