8
PARTISAN REVIEW
body rose, lifted high, a black tide crest of hands, faces, shoul–
ders, like erupted tree roots, black labor root erupted, rising
block tide of labor bodies in a thick volcanic tide and there was
a roar of flesh, roar of hands of a high key like a body of water
on cliff sides, then, from man throat, from rocky Adam's apple,
from chests deep with lifting, building, riveting there rose a ter–
rible, a great manroar ...
AYE.
AYE. AYE
The new flesh between her hands jerked as if lassoed, the
breath caught in the thin ribs, the baby's face got red as when
he was born, the nostrils shot open as if the noisy air was too
much to breathe. At the last A.YE, it lifted its head, struggled
and let out a bawl of rebellion, wonder, amazement and the
young body cry topped the others, and faces turned seeing the
pink blanket and there was a great laughter as they saw the
tiny white head as Leah had lifted it from the chocking and held
it on her shoulder, the tiny white head like a dandelion top in
spring sprouting there amongst the black froth of men from the
tool and dye, carpenters' unions, truck drivers, tobacco workers,
stock yard workers, and there the dandelion-top new bright head
as if just emerged and Leah hid her face behind Jock's shoulder
and he wriggled trying to show it wasn't him and then he laughed
and his ears were red and he put his big hand that was good on
the Ford factory belt on the bright tiny head and his eyes said
Leah, like when he wooed her.
The speaker was saying then, " ... so Monday you must
all be down to march to the capital to demand security for the
workers. Bring your children ... "
She and Jock looked at each other. They had something
to do now for Monday. She felt close packed with the others
as if they were all running forward together. Outside the snow
was falling in the heavy March darkness and the thick mass
would move and spread, explode like black projectiles from their
strength ...
And the speaker lifted his right hand straight up and he
said in a loud precise and clear voice and she felt the strong
taut thigh of Jock tensing next her and saw his knuckles white
on his clenched fist ... Jock without looking at her took her hand
in a hard grip ... "LISTEN," Tiala was saying, "FELLOW
WORKERS, REMEMBER, DON'T FORGET. EVERY
HOUR, EVERY NIGHT AND TONIGHT IS PART OF
THE STRUGGLE."
