what do we want 
-  we want food  - 
what do we want 
-  we want work  - 
what do we want 
- we want the right to vote  - 
arm in arm 
row on row 
an army of starving we are 
no where to eat 
no where to sleep 
marching  -  marching 
marching  -  to our death 
... 

they raise their guns 
long black guns 
pressed against their 
red coat shoulders 
"stop" 
"stop" 
"stop or we'll shoot" 
... 

we marched 
step after step 
arm in arm 
row on row 
we the starving marched 
we marched without guns 
we marched for food 
we marched for the right to vote 
into their bullets we marched 
we fell to the ground 
we fell on our friends 
we fell before 
their red wall of thundering death 
... 

from small holes 
our bodies squirt 
little fountains of blood 
 blood of the starving 
blood of we who have no vote 
blood of we who have no say 
drop by drop 
join together 
in death as in life 
into a red finger 
that flowed down Regina's streets 
into her sewers 
into Saskatchewan's rivers 
flowed our finger of blood 
continuing our march 
the blood march of the dead 
the dead who need no food 
the dead who need no vote 
the dead who need no say 
our blood flows east 
down winding rivers 
that kill mere mortals 
on into the shadow 
of the peace tower 
forever darkened by our blood 
on Canada day 
1935 
 

Keith O'Connor 
2001   Dec 31 
Ottawa Canada 
www.tinmangallery.com 
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