The six stages of these 100 days
we used to cry
a lot
we cried about [ ]
and [ ]
and [ ]
(you know)
we used to ask how
and who on earth
we asked [ ]
and [ ]
and [ ]
(so many questions)
we used to rant and rave
megaphones to our mouths
we yelled about [ ]
and [ ]
and [ ]
(can’t they hear us?)
we used to comfort each other
bottom’s up, we’d say
we’d say [ ]
and [ ]
and [ ]
(don’t they care?)
we are in the middle of it now
it’s for real
we are numbed from [ ]
and [ ]
and [ ]
(they’re not listening, they don’t care)
we can’t cry anymore
so we make fun
we tell jokes about [ ]
and [ ]
and [ ]
(loud as love, louder than bombs)
we laugh and we laugh and we laugh
Michelle Elvy
20 April 2025; day 90 of the first 100 days of the 47th presidency of the US
Note: There is no seventh stage, because there is no acceptance
Michelle Elvy is a writer, editor and teacher of creative writing. Her books include the everrumble and the other side of better, she has edited numerous anthologies, including Te Moana o Reo | Ocean of Languages, edited with Vaughan Rapatahana (The Cuba Press), and the forthcoming Poto! Iti te kupu, nui te kōrero| Short! The big book of small stories, edited with Kiri Piahana-Wong (MUP).
NZ Poetry Shelf 