What Minnesotans are Showing the World

Far from the Midwest US where I grew up,
I wake this morning in my Mexico life
and tears of astonishment fall down my face
to read the stories of love in Minnesota.
I cry in grief but mostly gratitude
for what Minnesotans are showing the world.

I know what -40 wind chill feels like.
Those thousands of loving souls
kneel at the airport, sing in the streets,
bring milk and diapers and groceries
and love, and rent, and hope
to homes of those sequestered in fear.

Those thousands and thousands of Minnesotans
knit hats and handwarmers, walk out to offer them;
meet those detained for being observers,
discharged without their confiscated coat and phone
into freezing weather, greet them with a coat
a phone, a ride. With quiet midwestern love.

Kind Minnesotans learn who their neighbors are,
offer whatever they can,
make community that wasn’t there before.
Minnesotans, their hardy individual faces
resolute with love in the midst of violence,
set up Free Tables to share supplies.

These are quiet people, they don’t let talk
delay their acting, they walk out of doors
to offer a bottle of water, a granola bar.
They are thousands of  individuals
with a common strength of spirit that’s shown the world
the ferocious  loving power of  resilience.

©Susa Silvermarie 2026