Fleeting fades the, aye, I confess, my sense
(much more the [again, I confess, my] heart’s-clutch) of care
for the suffer’d, the victimized,
the hordes of the heartbroken fleeing violence-torn pasts,
sorely, sorrowfully daily made present,
who gather at, clamor at (and cross) the, our, my border.
For who are they to suppose, presuppose
that they have a right, e’en a native, natural intent
to violate this place, this sovereign space I call mine own
(Where I was born! Where I belong!)?
I ask e’en tho’ I believe, I know
that some (many? still many? too many?) are those who
(dare they admit, if not aloud, then to themselves),
because of mine ancestors,
many of whom, in chains, landed on this land,
would deny my born-thus-belonging right to call this earthen plot, America, home.
Yet I say to myself, “It is that, isn’t it?”
Yes, it is that, my sense,
bone-and-marrow-deep awareness
of what it is to be an orphan,
abandoned,
made to feel…to be less-than
that sharpens my soul’s sense of care
for any, for all who suffer
where’er they are
and, thus, who come here.
Welcome.
occasional observations of mind and heart, soul and spirit 
Welcome indeed!!!!
Thank you Paul!! I’ve been to several Naturalization ceremonies over the last few years and it’s amazing to watch these happy people become US citizens. For them the thought of any borders are well behind them!!!
I’ve been to the border too as you know making training videos and it was one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen and it was well before families were separated. I can’t imagine that horror at all!!
Thank you for these words because we all need to be focused on this issue so thanks for keeping it in the forefront of our minds. I pray hourly for some orderly way of reuniting these families.
Lord help us!!
Much love!
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Loretta, I knew and knew that you, given your life and work experience, would have a personal sense, awareness, feel for this circumstance involving immigrants and the separation of parents and children. I friend wrote to me recently with sorrowful words to the effect of lamenting what they (meaning our government) have done. I responded, equally sorrowfully, writing that the “they” is “us”, indeed, all of us, for, I believe, our sisters and brothers south of the border who, crossing the border are separated parent from child, hold all Americans accountable – whether in some specific or inchoate sense – for our nation is involved and represented by the actions and inactions of our elected leadership. All of this grieves me beyond the power of my words to tell.
Lord help us, indeed. Amen.
Love
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