booksartyoume

'Why don't we weep any longer?' timothy r gates, 3/20/2008

tears flow,
still
for those that have fallen,
fallen prey to others' reluctance for synergy,
bigotry prayed to be stolen,
but not yet
the dream,
near, yet aloof.
we weep,
still
for
those murdered because they reject the illusion of segregation
those murdered because they're in the way
those murdered because they're free-persons
those murdered because they've refused alliances
with whites that think they will save the blacks
with blacks that think they'll save the whites
with brown or yellow or red skinned, the indigenousness
with Jews, or Christians, or Muslims
that think they're the chosen,
picked from all by a benevolent deity,
each of these say.
with Taoists, Buddhists, Shintoists, Hinduists, Spiritists, Spiritualists
with Pagans, Wiccans, Druids
these, too, claiming to be the proto-genesis of all others
with capitalists, communists, socialists, monarchists, theocraticists
with atheists, theists, deists, pantheists, polytheists, agnostics, skeptics
each, too, able to prove that they are right and the others wrong.
with chauvinists, misogynists, feminists,
any of these that presume their superiority over the others
with party one or two or three,
those, too, that require lock-stepping in order to be with them
with traditionalists, anarchists,
these, too, creating a new club, daily.
Tears flow,
still
for those that have fallen,
fallen prey to those that pray for their conversion;
but since they would not align with one, alone,
the praying ones preyed upon them,
making them part of the collateral damage, dung heap,
each blaming the other,
yet each applauding their martyrdom by the excusing, accusations.
One question:
Why don't we weep any longer?