Almonds Are Falling
Nature has no meaning; its events are not signs.
~ Philosopher Susan Neiman, Evil in Modern Thought
Almonds are falling
and hands empty.
Ready-packed pallets rise;
relief backs up for
another try for another line
for another day.
Fortified biscuits powdered
milk rice whole red beans
water so precious
a drop lost is like a prayer
unanswerable.
Dry food is helpful,
though it goes down
like dust.
Almonds are falling
in church yards
Crushed
stepped over
stepped around
Too many
to gather
to remember their names.
What lingers to make
new connections
floats to the sea on jasmine.
They climb a hill
who can. Reach
out who must.
Hope spends itself
in effort.
Effort spends itself
in promise.
Promise is a boat
going nowhere.
Almonds are falling
and hands empty.
A basket bottomless
takes a miracle
to fill.
Copyright © 2010 Maureen E. Doallas. All Rights Reserved.
________________________
Poems are prayers for Haiti. Some others that move me are:
Earthquake
Haiti in Prayer
Haiti at Tomatillo
To you
white out by Maya Stein at Patti Digh's 37days
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7 comments:
"Almonds are falling in church yards" and I think of cemeteries like the one at Bruton Parish Church in Williamsburg. Beautiful images here.
Thank you, Glynn. Almonds are falling all over Haiti now. The irony, of course, is that the almonds are food yet Haitian hands are empty.
water so precious
a drop lost is like a prayer
unanswerable.
One of my constant prayers is for water jugs, bottles, barrels to miraculously never run dry. The thought of being thirsty makes empathetically crazy.
Hi Maureen
There are some lovely thoughts here. I didn't know this was about Haiti until the end but as I read that was who I was thinking of, so you have certainly created a connection with the theme.
I loved the lines...
Crushed
Stepped over
Stepped around
Too many
to gather
to remember their names
It paints such an emotive picture of the whole scene in Haiti. It's a living nightmare that we in Western Australia really have no concept of, having not really had that many natural disasters here to contend with.
I can only imagine the pain of mothers, of fathers, of grandparents who are alive but have lost children or who are looking into a bleak future and wondering what will become of their families.
Your empathy is contagious.
Love
Hayley
Very powerful poem Maureen. Very powerful.
Thank you.
And yes, your empathy is contagious.
Too many
to gather
to remember their names
So sad and so painful a truth it hurts to gather it in my heart -- and as others have said, the hearts of mothers and fathers, grandparents, children -- are all hurting.
Who will gather their pain and carry it away?
Hugs
Fabulous poem straight from a beautiful heart. Almonds are falling in church yards is a wonderful line. I only wish it didnt have to be written.
Home run Maureen. Evocative, moving, memorable. I don't think I will ever forget the line, almonds are falling...
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