The Power of Words
The words that we mean always seem to escape
The words that we say never seem to be right
The words that we use can be a bearer of hate
The words that we hear can be a beacon of light
We can call this a sin
We can call it a tragedy
Once the news comes in
Putting names and faces to the bodies
Of our brothers, sisters, neighbors, and friends
Who had yearned for love and nothing less
Whose lives were brought to an undeserved end
Despite this end our lives persist
In a world that has not yet come to its senses
In a world that permits
Such violence, such hatred so senseless
In the efforts to change
And keep us safe
Conversation and debate
Have become automatic
Though the change that we see is all too static and stagnant
And thus we return
To the power of words
What could we say
That will make a difference now?
And how do we articulate
The way we feel somehow?
Perhaps we can rewrite
The drama, the horror
Replace the former
With stories of hope
The latter with a promise of love
Or perhaps our prayers will be heard above
The words on paper
Of legislation and regulation
May not come in this generation
The most tangible force
And most tangible change
Is seen when we drop
Our fear and our rage
When family and community
Become stronger,
Closer,
And better than ever
Because we stand in solidarity
Because we stand, in a word: together