Jesus Killed in the Street

I am thirsty

This was the cry that went out

As he died

The forces of oppression

Bearing down

For no other reason

Than that they could

And a man was dead

Murdered in broad daylight

Because they could

A life was taken

For the sake of order

Peace was not found

In killing this man

There was no justice

Simply malice

In the hands of the powerful

And I'm left to ponder

In the still of the night

The case of a man on a cross

And a man crushed in the street

And I weep

In retrospect and remembrance of George Floyd.

Dirty Laundry

As I move the clothes to the dryer once again

Just to move another load into the washer

I am thankful

Thankful for laundry

The task I often lament as endless

The one that sees me empty one basket

Full of clean and folded items

Just to fill it once again with soiled garments

But still I am thankful

It means that tomorrow

My children will awaken

Bright and renewed

Happy and smiling

And will put on clean clothes

I’m thankful that they have those clothes to put on

That they will wake up to that small blessing

Though I may at times take it for granted

In this moment

I am thankful

As I dump out a basket

And take my place in my kingdom of vestments

I’m thankful for each memory

Remembering the activities of the days

The joys of little ones going out to get dirty

Knowing all too well

That these clothes will be exchanged

For larger sizes

And new tastes

That someday I will only fold my own

But for now I am thankful

Thankful that I can provide for my children

To give them the clothes

That let them wake up

And start each day fresh and new

With new adventures in store

Going out to make new memories

So as each memory is folded and tucked away

Neatly back into the drawer

And new ones piled up again

I will always be thankful somewhere

For the laundry

Still Me

A cloudy night

Nights and days running together

Hard to keep track

Hard to concentrate

Feeling alone

Has never felt so lonely

Memory drifting

And a longing remains

Waiting for the clouds to lift

Revealing a clear sky

And a bright tomorrow

But for now I wait

Trying to remember the day

The week

The month

Temporary solitude

Is still solitude

Even the words struggle

To become a thought

To become something

More than a jumble

A cluster of memories

Flowing together into dreams

Dreams that are fleeting

And sometimes I wonder

If I'm becoming muddled

Jumbled fragments of me

Trying to remain a person

And not just a concept

Is it an existential crisis?

I cannot say

As fragmented thoughts

And partial memories

Float about my mind

Is this new?

Or have I just begun to notice?

I close my eyes

And I recall my face

And realize I'm still me

I'm still here

Whoever that may be today

Through the confusion and pain

I am still here

I am still me