vigil
as the bell tolled
names were read by the pastor
the only sound from the pews
a child’s cry
visitors swelled
the tiny rural church
built to house only a few guests
football players & airline personnel in uniform
joined rows of families singing
a battle hymn
as the governor thanked
selfless teams of workers
responding to cowardly violence
& praised our rekindled unity
the sheriff estimating
the crowd at fifteen hundred
& growing
spilling out into the town intersection
above
the contrails of two jets crossed
marked the twilight sky
below
a tired flag & luminaria
lined the steps like a runway
one for each victim
who slipped the surly
bonds of Earth
so that thousands
more would live
& in the silence
war loomed
like smoke from a crater
a hymn of peace
flickers in the dark
email me: jemoyer at angelfire dot com
MY HOME PAGE
