anguish – three good words

June 16, 2020

lacrimosa

it starts in the heart

and sweeps out in a wave,
up the larynx
into a mouth, wide open

a cry so loud
all who have eyes shed tears
and all who can see
weep
with anger
and anguish

for now
and again now
and again
now
and again now, now
now
there is no time
between the call
and response

there is no time
to wait
for now it is life or death:
the care of peace or the chaos of despair

July 9, 2016

yes, but

two nightmares, r and g
both alike in their utter lack of dignity
in a well-known land
where there are too many such scenes

and that’s where it ends
since there is neither rhyme nor reason
to this violence
this continuous cruelty
so organised, so repetitive
it has become the unthinkable:
commonplace, everyday
predictable
just another news reel.

how is it that death walks the land
with such impunity
and we still think we’re at peace?

we document the seas of tears
we tape the cries of anguish, terror and disbelief
and yet
eyes turn blind
ears tone-deaf
and words are written, spoken
stating repeatedly
‘yes, but’
‘not all of us’

‘not me’.