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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