To Our Family (A Haiku)

There is great sadness in our country this holiday season. Things unimaginable have taken form and cast a shadow over us. We–all of us–are at a great loss.

In moments like these it is difficult to know exactly how to respond, or whether to respond at all, outside of quietly offering our thoughts and prayers for the family of victims. Certainly, there’s no single right way, but for those of us who scratch words, meager as they may be, poetry can provide an outlet for working through it all.

I.

Silent night, holy.
All is calm within darkness.
We hear them, even still.

There is a lowly
pushing from the quiet wind.
We bow together.

Each in our own time.

II.

The days have shortened.
I feel them, gathering close
as if edges could touch,

as if stars might shine.
Instead there are only lost
pinpricks pulsing here.

A falling of legacies.

III.

Reckonings feel trite.
Potential is mournable.
Better hopes do spring

eternal in us.
Good people hold each other
close as promises.

Phoenixes of hope.

Today, I’ll refrain from issuing a poetry prompt. But if you’d like to pen your own tribute, or if you already have, feel free to share it with us in the comments below.

Original photo by Squeezeomatic. Creative Commons license via Flickr. Post by Seth Haines.

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