It occurred to me
I am no longer afraid of the things in the dark
The things that scare me most
happen in the daylight
People arrested for peacefully protesting
A baby shot because his mother stole diapers
Small businesses taxed so high
Police officers who can’t arrest
homeless people who defile the businesses
My mother has had a tumor on her liver for years now
She has insurance but her doctors just keep watching it
The paper plant in my hometown had a catastrophic event
because the tank holding caustic liquid was above ground
so it didn’t have be inspected by anyone
so 11 men died on a Tuesday in May
~
Maybe it is because I have stared death in the eye
more than once
Cancer lost and even blood clots didn’t win
Maybe it’s because I am older now
and my perspective is coming from a different angle
But the things that made me cry when I was a child
still make me take a pause and a breath
My fear is for things I really don’t understand
Like senselessness, selfishness
and people who don’t listen to their soul
No matter what side of the sun they are on terrify me
~
“Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger
and wrangling and slander, together
and all malice.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,
forgiving one another,
as God in Christ has forgiven you.
Therefore be imitators of God,
as beloved children,
and walk in love,
as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us,
a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Ephesians 4:31 through 5:1
~
I want to trade my traditions and religious training
for freedom
to love and laugh and speak life
into my fellow humans who feel tired
forgotten, overworked and heavy burdened
Because our Spirit is supposed to be free
to do the things I just said
And the contract is easy if you love
And it doesn’t matter what time it is
or where you are
Because religion stalls
but the Spirit feeds us
and creates even if you aren’t used to it yet
You can grow into it
~
Note: Jamie Holloway colored the art and inspired the scripture to polish this poem which was started at the Songs of Hope Fundraiser for the families of the Nippon Disaster that happened in May 2026. I started writing this poem while I was listening to an artist talk about one of her songs at Fei’s Carriage Restaurant and Lounge.
~
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