Some Mothers' Sons

Some Mothers' Sons

Faces in a newspaper, on my computer

and other faces, as I ride the bus

looking down into cell phones, all reading

about who you were, how it ended

for each of you, so young, so young

and once again, the flag at the fire

station is at half mast, again

and the air feels like the day

after a funeral, something quiet, questioning

creeping through this unseasonably

cool wind, asking, when will this

end, when will be different… people,

how can this keep happening?

and I suddenly want to hold my

own brothers, nephews, sisters close

to pick up the phone, hear their voices

to surround them with all of the light

and love in the world, in heaven

and protect them from far away

to let them know, right now, I love them

as I'm sure someone loved these young men

(and the four policeman, gone the next day)

someone cared for each of them, and that

someone, or someones are now wounded

as we are all wounded, heads and hearts heavy

to know love has been kicked brutally, again

and still, there is so much work ahead of all of us

until we are all healed, really healed of this, another wound.

(for Alton and Philando…and all those who died in Orlando)

James Stansberry is a poet and a philosopher living in Northwest Washington.

SHARING STORIES is a weekly column for and about the 50 plus crowd living in the Puget Sound region. Send your stories and photos to ariele@comcast.net. Tell local or personal stories; discuss concerns around aging and other issues; share solutions, good luck, and reasons to celebrate; poems are fine too. Pieces may be edited or excerpted. We reserve the right to select among pieces. Photos are always a plus and a one-sentence bio is requested (where you live, maybe age or career, retired status, etc.).

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