my heart hurts
that our streets are filled
with a quiet sense of dread
I watch hope dying while fears are fed
and people that I thought I knew
just wash their hands and walk away
or buy into the promises made,
the broken oaths
laced with fables and lies,
no evidence of doing what’s just or right
my heart hurts
that our homes are filled
with anger and division and pain,
that we still have to talk about gender and race
because we aren’t all treated the same
and that’s not okay
my heart hurts
for the lost things, lost lives, lost loves,
for the childhood homes washed out to sea,
that all people have left are memories,
and still, some hesitate to help,
too concerned with themselves
my heart hurts
because we continue to pull apart
instead of pushing together
my heart hurts
because we are better than this
we have to be better than this
Breath of Words© 10/3/17
art: Crystal Lake