the break
Statement: I feel the need to give some context for this piece because we are in difficult times. It is hard to know who to trust. This poem is about grief. Grief is our inheritance. It is not the only thing that we have inherited. Feel what you must feel about today. Anger, grief, angst, fear, all of these are valid and appropriate responses to the election of Donald Trump and the affirmation of hatred that his being elected signals.
There is no "but" after that. You will know what to do. The grief will tell you.
the break
Beloved,
there have been days worse than this
something which may be of
is no comfort to you now
but is still
very true
Dearest,
there have been days
that could not have possibly had an end
and yet the sun
set just the same
there were nights with no moon
& someone held
the promise
of you close
even if they did not know it
what I mean is
and it has been said before:
you are the prize of the Ones that did not die
you are the ready student
the conditioned body
you are possibility’s possibility
and no ancestor before you
would have been more ready
what I mean is
this will be hard
a fact
unjust
but fair
I’d like for you to remember
that today’s terror tastes
smells
feels like
That of yesterday’s
it has only now
called ahead
before visiting your door
know
that
there will be days
worse than this
which is an awful thing for me to say
when I want so much to encourage
when I need it myself
but it is
possible
so many things are possible.
Yes.
So many
things are possible.