Those of us restricted
By the weight of responsibility
Beat our lotus words
Against the nape of god
Begging him to listen
What will it take
How many murders
Of how many children
Must the M-16s come marching
Through Your gates
Through church doors
And temples
Laying mothers
Infants
Innocents to waste along the way
But You have not heard them still
Blood at Your altars
Blood everywhere
And You have not said a single word
Can we pray then
For others to listen–
Congressmen
Senators
God help us –the president
Can You make them feel
What it is like
To lose someone
If not just anyone
Then themselves
Can You make them feel
What it is like
To bleed empty
Before they are ready
To go screaming
Into the hollow night
Not even knowing why
Can You make them
See blood on their hands
And weep blood tears
Can You make them understand
The greed at the bottom of it all
That kills?
There is surely a way
Dear god
Even if You do not listen
To make others listen
To stop the bullets
To stop the tears.
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