"When I heard, from behind, the orders to renew the march, up in the sky a star, surely fed up by its subjugation to the black roof, managed to break away and, by falling, to leave a brief and fugitive trace on the nocturnal blackboard.
'That's what we are,' I said to myself, 'fallen stars that barely scratch the sky of history with a scrawl.' As far as I knew, I had only thought this, but apparently I had thought it aloud, because the companero asked, 'What did he say?'"
Perhaps it's because we're nearing the end of the year, and a new year traditionally beckons forth with the renewed promise of change, that I feel particularly hopeful revitalizing efforts can be made to effect positive change on the global stage. At such times, I often revisit the writings of political leaders living on the edge of society. One such leader is Subcomandante Marcos, leader of the Zapatista Movement in Mexico. His collected writings comprise the book "Our Word is Our Weapon." The above excerpt relays his first feelings toward revolutionary action. I've always found this excerpt particularly moving and, in this case fitting, as we usher in a new year.
You can read the full excerpt here.