The Day After
The Day After
How do we go on?
I ask those who came before
and have gone.
How did you keep going
over lifetimes
of losses
seeing how easy it is
to be cruel?
Child,
the voices whisper,
though I have children
nearly grown
we acknowledged our losses,
wept from the pain,
sat together,
sang together,
recounted small victories,
remembered who came before us
and went on
as we do
when there is nothing else
but forward.
Elizabeth Steinglass © 2018
Thank you
Thank you for replying and being in conversation with me.
It’s hard to rally when you are so disappointed in your fellow humans, but what other choice is there? Thanks for sharing this with us, Liz xo
That’s the hardest part for me also.
It occurred to me that the right’s “genius” is that they have convinced their base that what they really want is not clean air, clean water, children not being in cages, etc. but to upset people who want those things. So when liberals are upset, they are “winning.” They have even convinced their base that they do not like democracy, because it works against them “unfairly” (they are happy we have a “republic,” i.e. the Electoral College). I’m not sure what to do about the fact that what we used to know about our fellow Americans has changed (when I was a kid, everyone liked democracy) but I feel like it is important that we acknowledge that it is happening.
Thanks, Tabatha, I don’t think I’d thought about it quite this way.
Lovely writing and powerful ideas, as always, Liz. Thanks for sharing.
Yes, thank you, Liz.
With your permission, I’d like to share your powerful poem with my undergrads tomorrow morning. May I?
Yes, I would be happy for you to share.
Thank you
Poignant, Liz. Especially, ” there is nothing else
but forward”. Amen.
Thank you Liz