FOR MICHAEL AND LOUIS
Today I read a blog post by a famous man
defending another famous man’s temporarily paused career
and asking: At what point do we show some grace?
He lauded his search for redemption.
High church words, scrubbing at the squalor.
In high school, after I told the boy who assaulted me
that I wasn’t going to tell anyone, he thanked me;
he said I had such grace. This boy, who later became a youth pastor—
Grace. As if that spectacle on the cross was just
for us to save face.
—from Poets Respond
September 2, 2018
__________
Lauren Johnson: “The event I wrote this poem in response to is Michael Ian Black’s blog post in defense of Louis CK’s return to comedy, and asking that the world consider redeeming him. I am a survivor of sexual assault. It hurts to see men encouraging a lack of accountability for abuse.” (web)
