Welcome to Four Lines! I have a goal I would like to write at least four lines of poetry or a haiku every day for the rest of my life. I'm excited about this challenge! Also, along with my daily poem, I will be reading at least four lines of another author's poetry. I'll try to include that here also. So I'm thinking - how difficult can it be to read and then write one poem a day? We will see! - Claudia
All poems on this blog, unless noted, are written by Claudia Callaghan.
© 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 Claudia Callaghan
Used only with permission. Please feel free to join Four Lines and request permission.

Saturday, January 17, 2015

Je suis Charlie Je suis Ahmed in Minnesota

Deep windchill.
My son and I
hear again on the radio
this morning,
your days,
as if they were something to breathe.

I don't know what to do
from this periphery,
so I breathe in, like tonglen,
confusion, sorrow, defiance.
I breathe out unity, liberty, peace.
I breathe in your confusion, sorrow, defiance,
and breathe out your liberty, unity, peace.

"What are you doing?" Orion wonders
as I sit at the table, eyes closed, breathing -
urgent voices, gun fire, questions in the air.
"Part of my part" I say,
breathing in confusion, sorrow, defiance,
breathing out unity, liberty, peace
for you.



Something goes
every day now
a little more and a little more
in a world with less
   butterflies birds bees
     bartering and forbearing
        humans of the earth -
not humans of humans.
Our accordion world
is contracting.
We can still expand, but
        we need to decide soon!