a friends witness

women walking with child
children laughing afraid dreaming
mothers in days slipping away
great grand old faces facing sun in wrinkles
all suddenly running
covering
burning
like oil and rice thrown in a flame
instant eternal cauldron of pain and despair
noble ignorance aside feasting on phosphorescent sands
pulls humanity back toward a lifeless sea
unenlightened unfulfilled unfurthered
stop it
all believers
be brave
some mornings come with no warning

meeting house after sunrise
(in 1965 norman morrison, stony run meeting executive secretary, poured kerosene on and immolated himself outside robert mcnamara’s pentagon office)