There is the falsely mystical view of art that assumes a kind of supernatural inspiration, a possession by universal forces unrelated to questions of power and privilege or the artist's relation to bread and blood. In this view, the channel of art can only become clogged and misdirected by the artist's concern with merely temporary and local disturbances. The song is higher than the struggle.

Cries and Crying

Only to have a grief equal to all these tears!

Mothers

The worker can unionize, go out on strike; mothers are divided from each other in homes, tied to their children by compassionate bonds; our wildcat strikes have most often taken the form of physical or mental breakdown.

Past

Every journey into the past is complicated by delusions, false memories, false namings of real events.

Sons

How we dwelt in two worlds the daughters and the mothers in the kingdom of the sons.