The Changing of the Guard

Poems of the Theater by Justin Karcher

The Changing of the Guard

By JUSTIN KARCHER

What a lovely idea

an older generation

passing the torch

to the young

But in this city

it’s more like a blowtorch

because there’s a lot

we need to melt

In this city

the cold will kill you

if you don’t act fast

if you don’t speak up

Shake off the past

burn it all down

so artists can thrive

but it’s not easy

Our hearts encased in ice

not normal ice either

but the kind created

from lots of bad luck

Disinterested audiences

blowing cold air

at desperate performers

trying to change the world

It’s nobody’s fault

lake-effect winds

we’re born with

deep in our lungs

We get it

from our parents

their parents

so on and so forth

I imagine cities across America

where women carry blowtorches

they fight against frostbite

they fight for the future