Poetry/Musings: Reversed Orphans
February 16, 2018
I often go back to bed after I get up to feed the kitty.
I pop a few pills of the supplement type and scan the news; it’s usually unbearable. Don’t ask me to go into details.
All I can say is: we are fractured, splintered, broken, wounded, and living in the zone of battle,
a zone we never thought we’d find, a zone of dis-ease. It makes me tired, too tired to begin another day.
Although we are parents, our children are orphaned.
Again, there are parents who have lost their children. Reverse-orphans, I call them.
And so, on this February morning of gray, remembering: a recent Olympic triumph, someone’s birthday, unfolded laundry, my clean hair, a song from the 50’s,
and then seventeen dead children in a sunny state,
I didn’t want breakfast.
I wanted sleep but the birds were having a convention:
whistles, caws, screeches, mockings, chatter: they were all trading the latest news,
then the geese⎯arrived from the lake, coming or going? Honking.
They all knew that the weather was changing, that spring would be coming, that the light would turn yellow.
That they needn’t fear guns.
That is a job for children.
I’m here in FL, and all we see and hear on the news day and night, are the horrible events that happened a few days ago.
My cousin lives in that school district, but fortunately, doesn’t have anyone she knows there.
It truly has marred this beautiful sunshine state.
As usual, your musings on this tragedy are sad but poetic.
Terribly beautiful poem, Sue. So moving.
I didn’t know at all about the school shootings til after Stephanie, my daughter, came home. I too, felt totally sick to my stomach. I know how you wrote exactly what you did, it is a sick country lately, what has happened to the USA…??? I keep everything on for the twins, I will not subject them to madness. I think my ulcers have had ulcers. thanks for keeping me up todate. I will come back later, working late today lol….twins they are sweeties hugsxxx
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