February 2, 2026
Doing What We Can to See Clearly and Make a Difference for Good
one pin-drop in a nationwide walkout 1/20/26
because i have retired, i cannot walk out of work
because i am not a student, i cannot walk out of school
because i am not part of the commercial sector, i cannot walk out of commerce
but i can rupture my usual routine on this day of national walkout, and so i do.
i walk out of what would be my dinner hour
walk out of the warmth of my kitchen
walk out of the light of my home
to stand with others in nearby ipswich,
most of us with our feet in day-old snow
none of us at a dinner table
all of us in the dark of five o’clock in early january
all of us in the bone-cold of -8° celsius.
what feeds us? coming together, 88 of us
what warms us? coming together, 88 of us
what lights us? coming together, 88 of us.
we hold signs, we hold flags, we sing, we encourage each other,
we shout thanks to passing cars
whose drivers
honk and honk and honk and flash their lights in affirmation,
whose passengers
cheer us and wave and call out YES!
i am grateful for each and every one of us,
standing up together in common cause
grateful for the elderly man with his presence and his sign,
for the woman with her walker, oxygen supply, presence, and sign,
for the young guy with the jump-up-and-down energy, resonant voice, presence, and sign,
for the young family with their smiles, presence, and signs,
for each and every one of us standing here together
in our long underwear, our turtleneck shirts, our sweaters, our down vests,
our fleece-lined jeans, our ski pants, our wind pants,
our wool socks, our boots, our hats, our scarves, and our gloves,
united in making good trouble.
this is what democracy looks like.
amen.
—dotty seiter
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detail from a larger painting; ink and watercolor pencil on paper
Let’s Face It With Friends series
2025
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Notes about poem and art:
• “One Pin-Drop” is a thank-you note to myself, a thank-you note to each and every person who is finding the way that works for them to do the work of contributing to the common cause of the common good.
• There is much in the world that needs clear-eyed vision, much that has perhaps slowly been escaping our notice over time. The Friend Who’s Getting is doing her part to notice, pay attention, improve her vision, and respond to what she now sees.
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6 responses to “Doing What We Can to See Clearly and Make a Difference for Good”
Carol, hello! Thank you for the shared amen and for your affirming kol hakavod. Democracy is for sure not to be taken for granted.
I’m smiling at your love love love for these faces—they have turned out to be such fun for me, these discovered neurographic faces. Love that you, too, have “post office glasses!” You got a laugh out of me when I read that : )
Liked by 1 person
This IS was democracy looks like. Standing with others on the street corner in the cold feels like the best of what being a community is all about. It feels like an act of love. Thank you for helping build community and sharing your love! And this face IS what absolute delight looks like. I couldn’t love it more!
What a year+ it’s been since 1/20/25! I’ve certainly gotten up close and personal with democracy in much more direct, intensive, and conscious ways, never having guessed I’d have to work so hard for it. Thank you, MaryAnn, for helping build community and sharing your love!
This friend with her new glasses lifts my spirits! Glad her absolute delight touched you, also : )
Liked by 1 person
Lola, thank you for this most welcome superabundant hug of support and affirmation! I have spent the past hour (and countless countless previous hours) trying to navigate a bunch of computer-related tasks that remain elusively and WILDLY FRUSTRATINGLY beyond my current capabilities and I am going CRAZY! ok, I feel better now for having said that! I’m taking your hug to be even more inclusive than it already is, and it is perfect. THANK YOU!
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