War

I will not mention names

What good would that do

Anyway

What is done     is done

Children

So many

If I could write down

Their names

In memoriam

Their names would fill

The pages

Of a giant encyclopedia

The one country so brutally

Attacked

Has the right to defend

Itself

Yet

When does defense become

Attack

Desist     desist

Allow those who are

Left

On either side

Live in peace

Yes     yes

Let those left

Live in peace

Three Poems – Plus One

The Sycamore’s dried leaves

Of burnished gold

Hang expectantly

From their branches

Ready to fall

Onto the waiting

Ground

***

January cold

Wraps itself around

Southern California

From my window

Three plants

Bitten by frost

In the night

Their leaves shriveled

Browned

On emaciated stalks

In shocking contrast

Green leaves on the hibiscus

Live     untouched

***

You live in my heart

Little girl     little boy

Never forgotten

Children

Walking to freedom

From Guatemala

Die in Mexico

At the border

Denied America     forever

***

Like a flock of songbirds

All colors     all sizes

My children     my grandchildren

Gather around me

A few precious

Hours

We eat     we sing     we laugh

Until they fly away

Again

And I am left

To sing their songs

Alone

Listen

… Listen    listen

To the children

Those who are like flower buds

Opening     as they are

Into their adulthood

Listen to them

You who close your minds

Your hearts

To give them safety

Safety through laws

That could prevent them

Ever having to witness

Death

In what was the cocoon

Of their school

 

It is time     it is past

Time

To ban weapons built

Only to kill     to destroy

Where does your intent

Lie

You who are labeled maker of

Laws

Do you use your powers

Of office

To bolster the existence of

Assault weapons

Or

Will you listen to the children

Will you listen

As you never listened to their elders

And act on what needs

Doing

Ban the assault guns

Ban them     ban them

 

NOW

                                   photo credit

 

Salinas

images

from the documentary, East of Salinas

Child
My country labels you
Undocumented
You are not alone
Dear one
There are two million
Undocumented children
Who like you
Live in shadow
Threats of deportation
Back to Mexico
Back to from wherever
Your parents brought you
Possibilities of separation
Of families
Torn asunder
Lives lived on the edge of
Disaster

 

Child
You are made in the
Image
The likeness of the
Divine
You are precious to me
As is every child
Everywhere

 

I want for you
To live with no fear
Playing outside your house
In fullness of the sun’s light
Not inside with window shades
Down
Curtains closed
To keep you from being seen
By Police     Border Patrol
No questions asked
No dangerous answers
Given
While your parents work
Long hot hours
In the fields picking
Our vegetables

 

I ask myself this
Question
Are we
Land of the Free
Home of the Brave
Truly    are we

Save

Terrence

homeless-rain

Finally

Rain comes

Sky dark with clouds

Holding water

Release it in sheets

That slant sideways

Onto the street

Out my kitchen

Window

 

It is to celebrate

This rain

That has not watered

Us

For many months

With so generous

An amount

I watch it

Give thanks for

It

Then feeling gratitude

For being warm

Being dry

Inside my own

Home

My thoughts flash

To Terrence

Living on the grass

With his possessions

Above Swamis Beach

Whom I meet

One beautiful afternoon

When sprays of white

Appear    disappear

Appear again

Far out in the ocean

From the gray whales

On their journey south

To Baja

 

Where is Terrance now

Where are the homeless

Where can they go

To be warm

Be dry

Be safe

 

Later in the night

Rain pounds noisily

On the roof

Splashes against the bedroom

Windows

My thoughts harbor

The homeless

The children

And I tell myself

If you truly care

Find a way

Fortunate woman

Find a way

To help

view-to-south-from-swami

 

 

To Live in Blessed Peace

syria_landing_02

Little Child

Held tight in your father’s arms

I want to cry

For you

You do not cry

So I will not

Either

Tho your face expresses how

Frightened you are

Your eyes of deep brown

Look sad to my eyes

That see you in a line

Of refugees

Hurrying to where

I don’t know

Germany     perhaps England

Maybe France

You flee your homeland

Syria

And little child

Little boy

As you are held

In your father’s arms

So I hold you

In my heart

Hold you with a vision

Of a new life for you

A life free from fear

A place for you to

Play

As children are meant to play

Grow

As children are meant to grow

A place that in my

Vision

Is every place on earth

Where all children

Of God     of All That Is

No matter who they are

No matter where they come

From

Live in Blessed Peace

*photo credit, UNICEF

Children of the World

Guardian Angel, by Janop

This is the time

This is Now

To gather the children

Of the world

Into my heart

No matter

Who they are

No matter

Where they are

No matter

Colors of their skin

No matter

They be wise

No matter

Be they slow

They live inside

Me

With the Light

With the love

Of the Divine

 

Who gives the bounty

Mother Earth provides

Us all

But     Oh Divine Creator

There are children

In our world

Many children

Who live with empty

Bellies

Hollow eyes

Parasites in their

Guts

From dirty water

They drink

Bathe in

There are children

Many children

Around the world

Who know the terror

Of a mass shooting

The terror of war

Bombs     gunfire

People around them

Dying

Mothers     fathers

Siblings     schoolmates

Their minds     their dreams

Clogged with the

Memory

Of rape     pillaging     killing

 

Divine Creator

I call to you

Hear me

Help us stop it

Help us stop it

Help us save

Our children

Hear me

 

I bless them

Cherish them

Love them

 

This is the time

Now

 

Thank you     thank you     thank you

Amen