Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Crisis of Faith (Poem)

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

2 comments:

Peggy Rosenthal said...

Thank you for this poem: its harsh truthfulness.

michelle ortega said...

I welled up while reading. Your way of portraying the simple devastation, and the tribute. A gift and an honor to those you remember.