A two year old girl
sitting on a bench
sitting on a bench
chatting with her grandma
is killed by a loose brick
falling from eight stories up,
and landing on her head.
is killed by a loose brick
falling from eight stories up,
and landing on her head.
Not enough tears in the world
for times like these.
for times like these.
A native man stops
by a dead mama bear
at the side of the road,
to lay tobacco to assist
her spirit journey,
and finds two small cubs
in the bushes,
waiting for their mama
to wake up.
One has a length of tire rubber,
tossed by some careless human,
coiled around his neck,
caught on a branch;
he struggles then goes limp.
The man revives him,
mouth-to-mouth.
Wildlife Recovery takes
the small cubs in,
but this one doesn’t make it.
On the news, the remaining baby
stands on tiptoe,
peering through the bars,
wondering where
his brother,
his mama,
his wilderness
have gone.
by a dead mama bear
at the side of the road,
to lay tobacco to assist
her spirit journey,
and finds two small cubs
in the bushes,
waiting for their mama
to wake up.
One has a length of tire rubber,
tossed by some careless human,
coiled around his neck,
caught on a branch;
he struggles then goes limp.
The man revives him,
mouth-to-mouth.
Wildlife Recovery takes
the small cubs in,
but this one doesn’t make it.
On the news, the remaining baby
stands on tiptoe,
peering through the bars,
wondering where
his brother,
his mama,
his wilderness
have gone.
Not enough tears in the world
for times like these.
for times like these.
In my daughter’s yard,
a mama deer with a broken leg
and one small fawn
has taken shelter.
Likely she was hit
by some fast fool zooming along
the winding country road.
Wildlife Rescue isn’t returning
calls for help;
mama hurts,
the fawn grows hungry.
a mama deer with a broken leg
and one small fawn
has taken shelter.
Likely she was hit
by some fast fool zooming along
the winding country road.
Wildlife Rescue isn’t returning
calls for help;
mama hurts,
the fawn grows hungry.
Not enough tears in the world,
and so I pen one more poem
for all small creatures,
bearing witness, with heartache,
and so I pen one more poem
for all small creatures,
bearing witness, with heartache,
to say I see, I care,
about how difficult it is for mothers
to keep their babies safe
in times like these.
about how difficult it is for mothers
to keep their babies safe
in times like these.
For Sanaa’s prompt at Midweek Motif at Poets United: A Poem to Weather Uncertain Times. I am also thinking of the children at the southern borders, on concrete floors, as distressed as this small bear at what has happened to their worlds.
There is a news video about the small bears, if you click on the link. Tears are the only appropriate response to watching the evening news any more. We all need to slow down and become conscious of our fellow creatures.
There is a news video about the small bears, if you click on the link. Tears are the only appropriate response to watching the evening news any more. We all need to slow down and become conscious of our fellow creatures.
I am reading Once More We Saw Stars, a memoir by Jayson Greene, about the death of his small daughter, hit by a falling brick. A heartbreaking read, but with hope by the end.
An excerpt: "I understand....Greta would be literally everywhere. Her love and presence would blanket me. She would be flowers, bees, sky, roots, dirt, frogs, water. And so would I.........I become Greta, and Greta becomes me. The two of us are soil cupped in the palms of the world."
An excerpt: "I understand....Greta would be literally everywhere. Her love and presence would blanket me. She would be flowers, bees, sky, roots, dirt, frogs, water. And so would I.........I become Greta, and Greta becomes me. The two of us are soil cupped in the palms of the world."
So many reasons to cry... the little one hurting, though sometimes it's easier with those tragic little things than the real devastation we cannot bear to face
ReplyDeleteOh these stories break my heart. It shouldn't be so hard to keep one's babies safe - whether human or animal. That poor little bear cub without mother or brother. And that poor deer who cannot feed its young...profound sadness.
ReplyDeleteWow, this is powerful Sherry, I don't believe there will ever be enough tears shed. To write something like this must defiantly tug on your heart strings.
ReplyDeleteThere may never be enough tears – but this unutterably sad poem has drawn some more from me.
ReplyDeleteI cry every time I think of that small bear, on his tiptoes, looking through bars at an alien world. A world so crazy a falling brick can snuff out the life of a precious child - and large adult humans with absent consciences can follow orders to cage children who sleep on concrete floors. I TRULY dont understand what we have come to. I never thought I would see such things in North America. The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave. Not much.
ReplyDeleteIt's a sad state of affairs we have gotten into. Persons with no consciences are now in control over much of the world. Animals and less fortunate are being squeezed out. In our subdivision rabbits and alligators are protected species as the were here before us city interlopers.
ReplyDelete..
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHow foul humanity is as it wordhips money above all things and sees everything as a possible profit or if not something to destroy. Many of the unique Australia fauna are in danger because of our bad habits.
ReplyDeleteNo words enough!! So heartbreaking! The best we can do is write on.....
ReplyDeleteThis is so heart-wrenching, Sherry. These are dark times we are living in .. I sometimes wonder about the state of our world and whether we will ever come out from the pits of destruction and despair. Thank you for adding your voice to the prompt.
ReplyDeleteAm sorry, but I have no comments. just tears streaming down my face.
ReplyDeleteI always wish I can control my tears. But, I'm allowing them to flow as a prayer of grief.
ReplyDeleteI always feel for humanity's suffering, but for some reason when animals are abused, or hurt and suffer, their pain goes straight to my overly sensitive heart. Perhaps because they are so innocent, even in their ferocity. They simply honor their nature.
Me, too. Animals have no voice, they just want to live, and they suffer because of us, with no one but us to make the situation either better or worse.
ReplyDeleteI want it to happen more often that we ask ourselves and each other how can we make it better; then come together to act. This is one of our greatest challenges, I think, today.
ReplyDeleteDoing what we can to make it better is the only hopeful response.
DeleteOh Sherry, this is so heart-breaking, and not enough tears in the world fr all those innocent children and animals.
ReplyDeleteSherry, tears are spilling as I write this.
ReplyDeleteWow! This is so utterly profound. The caring that is the task to all.
ReplyDeleteThis poem makes me happy for it has done a great job of shouting out
Much❤🕊❤love
This is heart-wrenching and beautiful. All animals should be protected and I abhor anyone that cruel to them.
ReplyDeleteI have no words, my eyes are filled with tears.
ReplyDeleteYou took the prompt in a very compelling direction, Sherry. With the horrible situation at the US southern border, occupying the continents collective consciousness, I found it particularly resonant with the sad truth we are now confronted with daily: Mother's cannot always save their children from harm.
ReplyDeleteWell it's all in the Bible. Best psychology and sociology book ever written. Like it or not Man is intrinsically not a good creature.Needs loads of civilising nuturing through spiritual guidance and education(in the real sense of the word) not just vocational training.It took a long time to reach the stage when we could venture out without danger and not be murdered in our beds at night. Sadly it seems that the planet will not survive long enough for much needed improvements to the human psyche...Pity.. our present development was won on the sacrifice and suffering of those who went before us...we just squander it all.
ReplyDeleteIndeed..."not enough tears for times like these" Nice to see you again, to be here and wake up!
ReplyDeleteSome days I feel so heavy and pointless, Sherry.
ReplyDeleteIndeed..."not enough tears for times like these“. Sigh!!
Moving events in both your poem, and the book you are reading. There's so much pain in this world, and there are not enough tears, indeed. A brilliant take on the prompt as it takes into consideration not only humankind but all living creatures.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful poem. You made my eyes moist. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteGreetings from London.
Not enough tears. And yet so often my tears don't even come, I just stare vacantly and absorb more pain. More, and more and more.
ReplyDeleteThere are not enough tears, and I hope we do not become complacent and mute.
ReplyDelete