Writing in Tragedy

If you are reading this post on Christmas day, my advice for you is to go hug your family and get off the internet!

On the other hand, maybe you’ve had too much of them by now. Okay.

In the hours after I heard about the shootings in Connecticut over a week ago, I wrote two poems. Poetry is not something I write often. Rarely do I end up publishing it for others to read. It is usually a way for me to process difficult emotions, overwhelming joy, or just plain amazement. This time it was horror, shock, pain, helplessness.

Isn’t that why we write in the first place? To share what being human is? So that’s why I write poetry. And I’m sharing these today with you. I hope my words touch that place in  you that will resonate how I felt at the time.

The Only Thing

The only thing

I can do

in this madness

is to love

to create peace

where I can

to hold in my heart

the wounded

the poor

the sick

the sad

the only thing

I can do

is live

by the spirit within

and hope

to give enough

of myself

to make

some difference

When They Ask

When they ask

How did we let this happen?

Say to them

I did nothing to stop it.

Did you?

This is the culture

We have all perpetuated.

We all committed this act

Because we are a society

Of violence

Of intolerance

Of guns and killing

Of hatred

When did we sow seeds of love?

When did we help someone in pain

So bad that he might think the only way

Out

Was to kill and then die?

When did we say

It is my responsibility?

As a citizen, I own up.

I did it.

Because of my inaction

Things happened.

Because I was too busy,

Lives ended.

How many times do we have to

Relive this

To realize we need to

ACT?

Not with more guns

Not with more fear

Not with more anger.

Act now

With love

Care for those on the edge

The fringe

Do you even see them?

They feel invisible,

So is it any wonder they

Believe

Their actions aren’t important?

Reach out

To the weak

To the crazy

To the suffering in silence

To the odd one out

To the desperate

It’s easier to ignore

But that

Is how we let this happen.