No words adequate
When Lightning Strikes the Earth, Felix Vigil, mixed medium/collage, photo courtesy of the Blue Rain Gallery, Taos, New Mexico
The One Deep Breath prompt is "emotion" and the challenge is to write a Tanka, a Japanese poem consisting of five lines with syllable distribution of 5-7-5-7-7. Before late last night, I had never heard of Tanka. This is my first attempt, inspired by the shocking events of September 11, 2001 that rocked our world:
No words adequate
to describe the emotions
brought to the surface
on this anniversary
pain and sorrow's legacy
No words adequate
to extend our sympathies
to those suffering
unimaginable loss
zealots' innocent victims
No words adequate
to bear losses inflicted
by faith's perversion
preached by dividers of men
against uniters of men
No words adequate
to explain how one leader
took the world's good will
and squandered it, choosing war
staining our reputation
No words adequate
to stress that we are not him
as Americans
we long for justice and peace
liberty's strong foundation
No words adequate
to express how much we need
to overcome fear
and find common ground for all
one world united in hope
