Crisis of Faith
for the Nine Killed in Charleston, S.C.
17 June 2015
The killer enters
a prayer circle.
I will not write
his name here.
He sits, waiting
the hour's end.
The six women,
the three men
pray together,
study together,
try to understand
the Good Word.
No good word
from the killer,
rising, shouting,
aiming, shooting
reloading, shooting
shooting, reloading
shooting, shooting
reloading, shooting
reloading, reloading
shooting, shooting, shooting:
Tywanza Sanders, 26
Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney, 41
Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, 45
Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, 49
Cynthia Hurd, 54
Myra Thompson, 59
Ethel Lee Lance, 70
Daniel L. Simmons, 74
Susie Jackson, 87
I cannot write
His name here.
2015 © Maureen E. Doallas
________________________________________________
Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church ("Mother Emanuel")
Church Website
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
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2 comments:
Thank you for this poem: its harsh truthfulness.
I welled up while reading. Your way of portraying the simple devastation, and the tribute. A gift and an honor to those you remember.
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