Wednesday, May 11, 2011

The burning of old man gloom

All is not lost, all is not gained

how do we mourn for someone we so despise
how do we let go of grief that goes beyond our target
one man became the container for all evil, all injustice
he became a symbol of our fears and losses
inhumane, despotic, but scapegoated too

a misfit, alienated in his family and land
a double outsider from a double outsider
no excuses here, no justification, no forgiveness
a criminal on the deepest level, inflicting his own hurts
but a human all the same, a man of flesh and bone

he is gone and we rejoice, avenged as a nation
like zozobra, all our grief and gloom burned to ash
but next year, as we accumulate new loss, new concerns
who will take the blame, who will bear the weight of it all
this is not it, not everything, not pure relief

we must remember that no man is an island
and through all anger and tears, we remain connected
we must hold onto our humanity, even in the face of fear.

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