O America...!

are we not a nation…come together… under God?!  

have we forgotten the cost for those things won  

that it was…prayer…which  flanked this sod?  

turning against each other as if we were never one 

we disregard and cast aside love’s rod  

behaving as if  we weren’t all formed…by the Son! 

have we so soon erased, even forgotten

the memory of all our fathers blood  

has it faded - flown  into…oblivion? 

what is our beloved country missing?!?  

what's prompted this, and other current evil…hissing?!  

of course, there’s no agreeable answer to tell  

but here’s one  to consider- well

prayer…if not in a home did daily in schools shine  

but daily prayers for our country was silenced…by law!  

prayer…once dispersed with every school’s chime  

was stopped and now we turn on each other and…claw!

our love for Him!...the cement! the glue!…is gone! 

incident, upon incident…raps  

its absence felt- with a  sad and mournful song!  

thus across the land we hear  the taps…  

so it is, here we are…once again  

and that which was somewhat grasped   

out of the jaws of racism and bigotry’s bin 

has seeped and returned,  we slip…back 

did God Himself make a mistake  

purposely covering us with His varied colored  paints?  

was it to birth relationships that smart and rake  

or to knit, albeit diversities- with love dispelling  taint?  

Can a kingdom, a house…a nation

divided against itself…stand?!?  

we, so consumed with inner conflict  

are blind to the bed we lay for cells to band 

We had better lift our heads and see  

this is not a time to pull apart  

for waiting at our land's gate...to siege  

are enemies…without compassion or heart  

So, as we march…free…from violence maul  

the right intent must touch and sway  

we have to pause and...on God...call 

thus, line every step with love…and pray! 

I will not go into a child’s tit tat  

as to who ‘hit first’ in this hideous spat  

for escalating from the death of  two innocent souls 

now eight graves…will grip dirt and hold!  

let us not overlook the real pity of this grinding 

the thing that wrenches are those left behind…pining!  

the  arms…oh! arms! with emptiness…unmovable!

of children , mothers, fathers, sister, friends…brothers

empty arms cry out with grief! so un-consolable!   

arms yearning…so tangible, their loss- it smothers!  

and the waters! the waters!  

that have overflowed eyes…the waters!  

that’ve dripped down and flooded cheeks  

the waters...have soaked pillows…and yet still  

its origin cease not to produce profuse leaks 

but can you tell me something?  the waters…?  

is it  tainted white , or black in color?  

or is it clear not separate one from one another?  

when the hurt of injustice has taken its toll

and there’s pain- from the white house to the pole  

it seems that...the waters…clear the clatter  

and makes no difference from whom it might fall

it's non-descript...at its splatter  

for when an entire nation stands in ‘weepers hall’

this is the 'bottom line' gist of candid chatter...

ALL…TEARS MATTER! 

Ps 56:8, Mk 3:24-25,1Thess 5:17, Jam 5:16 

copyright;jmsbell-7/13/16