Chen-ou Liu's Translation Project: First English-Chinese Haiku and Tanka Blog

Monday, February 15, 2021

Gunshot and White Noise Tanka

written in response to the Verdict in the Second Impeachment Trial (of the Inciter-In-Chief/former "Make America Great Again" reality show host)

remember the crack
of the solitary gunshot ...
slowly these words
turn into white noise
on this windy night of snow



Six hours after the attack on January 6th, after the carnage and mayhem was shown on every television screen in America, President Trump told his supporters to “remember this day forever.” I ask the American people to heed his words: remember that day forever. But not for the reasons the former president intended.

Remember the panic in the voices over the radio dispatch; the rhythmic pounding of fists and flags at the chamber doors.

Remember the crack of the solitary gunshot.

Remember the hateful and racist Confederate Flag flying through the halls of our Union.

Remember the screams of the bloodied officer crushed between the onrushing mob and a doorway to the Capitol, his body trapped in the breach.

Remember the three Capitol Police Officers who lost their lives.

Remember that those rioters actually succeeded in delaying Congress from certifying the election.

Remember how close our democracy came to ruin.

My fellow Americans: remember that day, January 6th, forever—the final, terrible legacy of the 45th President of the United States and undoubtedly our worst.

Let it live on in infamy, a stain on Donald John Trump that can never, never be washed away.