- Because I
have been hiding in silence
- Because silence
has not cured my heart sickness
- Because I
must share the truths my heart discovers
- Because I
need a friend in truth, and she needs me to appear
- Because I
need to hear myself break through the noise and horror
- To say what I find there
- I want
to write a song
- And say
your names
- To remember
- To
remember words and sentences I forgot
- To say I
love you
- You are a child of God
- To cross the real and fake barriers among us
- To ask
for cease fire, for food, for peace, for wonder
- Because when we speak we are not heard, but when
we are silent we cannot be heard, so it is better to speak*
- To invite others to voice what they know
- To start
the hard discussions people avoid
- To break
through numbness
- To name
and see what is, the good as well as the rest
- To spin alternative
worlds where people can breathe
- To be alive
For Mary's prompt "Fifteen Reasons" at What's Going On?
My blog poems are rough drafts.
Please respect my copyright.
© 2024 Susan L. Chast
Brilliant! It does seem that the time to speak out is now. WHEN if not now? There are a few lines that speak the loudest to me:
ReplyDelete"Because I need a friend in truth, and she needs me to appear"
"I want to write a song
And say your names"
This poem SHOULD be made into a song!
In a world where we live today yours are the best reasons to speak out. "Because I must share the truths my heart discovers" This line reads like an adage. In all the sentences I find true love for humanity. So beautiful and uplifting, Susan.
ReplyDeleteA truly uplifting and inspiring poem, my friend. I especially applaud "To ask for cease fire, for food, for peace, for wonder" and the line by Audre Lord. Sigh. If only those in charge would hear our voices.
ReplyDeleteTo start the hard discussions people avoid
ReplyDeleteTo break through numbness... absolutely.. this resonates.. if not now, then when!
Absolutely. We must speak up for those who have lost their voice otherwise none of us will ever be heard. Suzanne- Wordpress blog - Wayfaring.
ReplyDeleteLove it - i think you captured the heart of using the gift of words to inspire and change. Well done
ReplyDeleteSusan,
ReplyDeleteA very depthful introspection examining the need to speak up, or to remain unheard....a serious issue in the very warped world of today...somehow truth is frowned upon and therefore, faux news, seems to be foisted into our minds...we must remain open to observing all aspects, where possible...
The "why" of speaking is so important. I have a friend who filters everything she says with: "Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?" That last one is the biggest consideration. Well done! Amy
ReplyDeleteI have found that the things I was once afraid to voice turned out to be the very things that someone else needed to hear. Keep talking, Susan.
ReplyDeleteThe need to speak is in our DNA which makes #2 so universally resonant that connects so powerfully for me with the last reason and "You are a child of God" Loved each line, Susan, all expressive of our need to connect with lives, experiences outside our own.
ReplyDelete