“Revolution” by Ed Mabrey
there’s a revolution. it spins like the
world on its axis, so fast it carries no
sound, no image, not even a vibration and
if you run fast, like a child, and come to
a sudden stop in your sprint, close your
eyes quick, and hold your breath. you’ll
feel it, you’ll hear it just say seconds
behind, or a lifetime ahead. right now,
there’s a Vietnamese boy running through
a field with a pair of Nikes tucked
under his arm, dodging bullets like
raindrops, his blistered feet barely
touching the grass, racing across the mud,
racing against consumerism. the shoes are
not for him, but for his grandmother so
that the time in the field can be
gentler in its monotony. right now, a
boy’s just found a stone, he checks his
weight for strength, it’s grooves for
accuracy, then darts off with his fist
held high, signaling to the other that
the stick ball game was officially on,
never knowing that the the rock he holds
is the last reigning piece to a church
bomb years ago in Selma, Alabama and the
sound he hears played after, when he
cracks a home run, is not the tinkling of
broken glass from Miss Johnson’s window,
but four little black angels crying
tears of joy, cheering him as his feet
hit every base. right now, in the Soviet
Union, where the red curtain might be
tatted, but its’ blood stained glow still
cast over the eyes of everyone living
there, and names like Stalin and Lenin
bring shivers colder than the Hudson in
December, and names like optimism, freedom,
and democracy can get you shot, killed if
you’re lucky. there was a girl sticking
her hand into a military bonfire
ignoring the pain and crackling of her
own skin, she takes out a book half charred,
which reads Three Sisters by Chekov
and tucks it underneath the shirt, not
for warmth, but salvation. right now, a
crackhead had waited 10 minutes longer than
he did yesterday, before going in the cop
and tells himself tomorrow I’ll shoot
for 20. a raced girl with bags underneath
her eyes, and in beneath the legs which
both by now her age stands, on the corner
Main & Champion, and when some Tide
State worker comes by flashing crisp $20
bills she gets on the bus and heads home
for the first time in months. can you
hear me now right now? a boy just ran for
his life to go to school today, some girl
got caught and smacked to some
piece of car, leaving her purse
behind, but not a virginity. can you hear
me now? right now, a man just cut off his
TV and actually had a conversation with
his kids. there is a revolution happening
around us every moment, of every day, and
it is not black power, nor white power, it
is not scary, not tyrannical, it is not
Hitler nor Gandhi, Martin or Malcolm, Mama,
no Nora. it is a young couple’s kiss
behind the bleachers and the old couple
holding hands in the mall, it is loving someone
intensely for 5 minutes, then letting go
when the song ends. it is your misfiring
synapses, your unfit high, your seemingly
miserable existence that still keeps
beating in your chest like some Drummer
Boy hellbent on getting through a
spiritual desert, it is writing a poem or
hearing one. it is your inhale and exhale.
right now, there’s a revolution being
fought right around us. look at the
person next to you. see the battle being
fought in their eyes and recognize it is
just a reflection of the same war being
fought inside you. it’s but the effort to
live your life the way you wish every
moment, every day of this life that you
have and that is the battle and that is
the Revolution and your goal tonight is
a inhale and exhale to living live
inhale, exhale. can you hear me now? if so
then fight on soldiers, ‘cuz the life you
saved this night will be your
own.
Transcribed from the video “Revolution” by Ed Mabrey and Poetry Slam Archives.
Watch Ed Mabrey perform “Revolution” on YouTube
About the poet Ed Mabrey
Ed Mabrey’s poem Revolution is an urgent and powerful meditation on the silent, ongoing battles that define human existence. Unlike traditional revolutions that are marked by violence, politics, or ideological shifts, the revolution in Mabrey’s poem is deeply personal, invisible to the untrained eye, yet ever-present in our lives.
The poem unfolds in a series of vignettes, each capturing a moment of struggle, resilience, or defiance from various corners of the world. A Vietnamese boy runs barefoot, dodging bullets, not for himself but to bring comfort to his grandmother. A child picks up a stone for a game, unaware that it is a remnant of a church bombing in Selma, infused with historical pain. A girl in the Soviet Union risks her life to rescue a banned book from flames—not for warmth, but for the survival of knowledge. A crack addict fights against addiction, pushing the boundaries of self-control. A young woman, forced into sex work, takes her first steps toward reclaiming her life.
Through these moments, Mabrey illustrates that revolution is not just found in grand historical narratives but in the quiet acts of endurance, courage, and self-reclamation that happen right now—in real time, all around us. He challenges the reader to recognize the struggles in the eyes of those around them and to see their own internal battles reflected there. The poem’s rhythmic repetition of “right now” creates a sense of immediacy, making the revolution feel not only inevitable but also deeply personal.
Mabrey’s final call to action is simple yet profound: breathe. The act of inhaling and exhaling, of continuing despite hardship, is itself an act of defiance, a way to reclaim one’s life. Revolution is not just about resistance; it is about existence, about the ongoing fight to live authentically and freely.
Discover more about Ed Mabrey’s poetry and performance legacy here on his bio page.
Get Tickets to see Ed Mabrey, Individual World Poetry Slam Champion, feature at Ghost Poetry Show on April 9th, 2025!
April 9th, 2025 at The Rebel Lounge
Doors at 7:00PM | Show at 7:30PM
Advance Price: $10 + fees
Day Of Show Price: $12 + fees
21+This is a special Ghost Poetry Show for National Poetry Month! Individual World Poetry Slam Champion ED MABREY features award-winning poetry live and in-your-face in the intimate setting of The Rebel Lounge!
15 poets compete in a poetry slam for cash prizes judged by 5 randomly selected audience members.
To sign up to perform email us at GhostPoetryShow@gmail.com