When I was a little girl I wanted to be a writer
This journalist whose name would be remembered
For good work and integrity
But then I realized
The more I read
That I am not a political person
That's the story I told myself
Even way back then
I was always saddened by war
And stories of war
Any war
Even when Veronica was gon kick Michelle's butt
In the girl's bathroom on the little playground
I wanted to intervene someway
War was never a story
Where there were heroes and villains
Everybody just lost
Nobody ever won
Not really
I haven't changed much
After all this time
I wonder about families
Over there in Syria
So far away
Tonight how will they pray
What words will they say
Who will forgive first
Will grown sons and daughters sleep with parents and pets
Will fathers tell tales of better days
Will mothers cook
Will young women wash their hair early morning
There are better options
There just are
Maybe I am just naive
Perhaps I am not informed enough
If families die from our bombs
Instead of his chemicals
Are they a better dead
I keep listening and reading
And waiting for it to all make sense
How big brother we are
How our responsibility is to do more than watch and wait
And I remember Rwanda
How we watched them die
And watching is not the answer
And bombs are not the solution
And poetry does not persuade politicians
But words and questions and a backpack filled with prayers
Is all I have to give
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