I will remember you

The Storyteller mixed media painting by Felix Vigil, photo courtesy of the Blue Rain Gallery, Taos, New Mexico.

Poetry inspired by music is the prompt for this week's Poetry Thursday. My poem includes a stanza from the Sarah McLachlan song I Will Remember You. The poem was inspired by children in Qana, Lebanon, who died when Israeli bombs crushed the house in which their families were sheltering - and by all the children who have perished in wars and conflict throughout the world.

Again, death has come calling
in this place where Christ performed miracles.
Not one, but two massacres a decade apart
provoking international outcry
and fanning the flames of hate, when hope was needed.

Under sheltering skies, a gathering storm:
in a basement families slept,
while diplomats' reason failed to keep
the stealth bombs at bay, intent on revenge.
Nothing can help them now.

The protective cover of darkness,
safety dependent on mortar and bricks.
Nightfall's silence shattered like glass, a blaze of fierce light
as bombs exploded, destroying all options
No safe havens here.

Buried among the rubble, their small bodies broken
like limp rag dolls, hair and clothes singed by fire
their lives cut short by a calculated risk
an act that failed to kill a single enemy,
but broke hearts around the world.

I will remember you
history will record the guise of self-defense
the senseless violence responsible
for innocents dead, like lambs to the slaughter.
Collateral damage? Children died here.

I will remember you
childhood innocence destroyed
A story grown familiar: a moment of madness;
the wails and tears of your parents
Rock of ages echoing Jericho's trumphets.

Though promise in your eyes, your life unremarkable;
but your death captured our attention.
Along the rocky path to peace,
tears wash away the blood of innocents
spilled in someone else's cause.

Your parents left with nothing
a tiny plywood coffin in a mass grave, a hasty burial.
No songs were sung; no flowers softened the crime.
Only tears mark your grave
in this troubled land where so many have fallen.

I will remember you
the Songs of Solomon you couldn't sing
the words you never spoke;
the stories unimagined
you didn't live to tell.

I will remember you
I will speak for your small voice
that never had a chance
to develop and be heard.
I will remember: you mattered.

Comments

[Marilyn]

Beautiful, Tara. And I love that song that inspired you...it was in the background as I read your words...and it made it even more haunting. Hearbreaking and beautiful.

[marilee pittman]

thank you for sharing your wonderful ideas and postings. it is such a wonder . if only.........

[JinxTheGypsy]

Beautiful, poignant and moving poem! And stunning painting...love this post!

[Laura Young]

You call to mind what Martin Prechtel said on his CD Grief and Praise. He says that war, in part, is so terrible because there is not time to grieve, to properly bury the dead. All that grief exploding out into the universe with no place to land, no time to honor the dead.
Powerful poem, Tara.

[Dani]

You poured your heart into that poem and expressed your feeling eloquently.

[M]

This is so touching, so beautiuful. Thank you for helping us remember the other side of war. You have such a good heart.

[becca]

Tara, this song always brings me to tears, and now, sadly, I have even more reasons to cry.

Your words really touched my heart...as always.

[cheap tart]

Incredibly beautiful post ~ image & poem!
That song is one of my all time faves too.

Smooch,
The Tart
; )

[Verity]

So moving and beautifully written. Thank you.

[wendy]

I regard violence against children and animals, as the ultimate in hate. when innocence is blotted out by fear, that surely must be hell.

[Ali la Loca]

I just finished reading an interview with one of the mothers whose 2 children died in that basement, right next to her in the rubble. This mother sat listening to her children stop breathing and could do nothing about as she was pinned down as well.

This is insanity.

I am amazed again at how well you capture world tragedy and political events in poetry.

[Abufares]

Thank you for letting me on this poem of yours. After the terrible and senseless sadness, your words come as a breath of fresh air.

[Michelle]

That is incredibly powerful visual and emotional portrait of a horrible, senseless tragedy.

[Superhero Activist]

I risk redundancy posting this late in the game, the best has been said many, many times before me (and far more eloquently, I might add)

Just this morning, as I sat down to start writing 'music' in a way that was meaningful, and the thought crossed my mind that each decade has it's own music anthology attached with it.

Disco 70's, New Wave/Synth Pop 80's, etc...and I stopped for a moment and imagined what type of music will define our decade, torn assunder by wars, among other things.

Your poem seems so apt, a song of its own for this decade, capturing the quiet tragedy that is sometimes overlooked as we go about our busy days, oceans away from the devastation our politicians have waged in the name of a misplaced moral imperative.

Thank you for this poem, for the message within, for ensuring that something of this grim reality resonates in our hearts, reminding us that in the end, stripped of the tenuous labels of "enemy", we are all equally human and fragile.

[artzyjudie]

My heart aches and my soul cries. Judie

[Pam ARIES]

I go through my everyday life here in my little world and I think I have big Troubles. I do not really know what big Troubles are. The painting, to me, was like a forest fire, burning up all the innocent life dwelling there. As I read your poem,I felt an immense awareness of how WE can never understand. Until it happens here.

[jojo]

thank you for giving a moment to these helpless lives... the unguarded. i've shed too many tears for war. and somehow my well is never dry. thank you. thank you. those i never knew are remembered this hour.

[Colorsonmymind]

Darling-

I am listening to Ready for love by India Arie-

this is powerful-takes me out of my own moment-

makes me take another moment today to honor these precious lives

Thank you for this beautiful important message.

[berrie]

& P.S. I tried voting the SOB out of office last election:( it failed:( BUSH has hurt us all...both here and around the world.

[berrie]

I'm completely saddened and overwhelmed by what is happening in our world today. That song has always brought tears to my eyes but Tara you've given it more meaning today. I am not ashamed to be an American, I love my country. It is our president & his administration that are SCUM & yes their apparent control of the UN scares the CRAP out of me an American. & I'm hopeful that the world can seperate the two* THE AMERICAN PEOPLE & THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION ....Most American citizens are against this war and the actions over the past few years in the middle east..but What do we as American citizens do??? It's a very dark moment in history & as much as I hate to say it it most likely will escalate to WORLD WAR 3. Lord help us all. :(

[Happy Tiler]

Thank you for the phenomenal post Tara, the art, the poetry and the concept! You have read the minds of millions all over the world. It never leaves my mind! Such sad days for all! As a mother I can't even fathom what it would be like to lose a child unnecessarily.

[liz elayne]

"their lives cut short by a calculated risk"
this line made me stop.
take a breath.
and read it from the beginning again.

thank you for sharing this today. my heart aches with it all...

[Catherine]

It's hard to think of all those innocent children dying and to feel so helpless. I think of another song "when will they ever learn? when will they ever learn?"

[Nancy]

Very powerful poem and such a sad state the world is in right now.

[susanlavonne]

In a world where political words and phrases like "Collateral damage" are hollow, yours ring true.
They remind me of the silent sorrow when a poem or song is being read or sung as someone loved is being lowered into the ground...they give voice to feelings too deep and too raw to describe.
Truly moving, Tara.

[Josephine]

God help us all.

[Tammy]

As the tears well up over this powerful poem. I am filled with sorrow of more bloodshed to come. Thank you for giving them a voice. Excellent work!

XXOO

[Neil]

Despite differences in politics, it is impossible not to be moved by that poem.

[GoGo]

Thanks for the poem, it definitely reflects much of what I am feeling without the words to know how to express it.

I appreciate you reaching in and digging out something like this for us.

[Catalina]

very poignant! beautifully said........very strong!

[Sophie]

"Collateral damage.
Children died here."

This poem is seering in
it's lava-infused
pain for these children.
Evocative inspiration
with Sarah's song.

[Colette]

Beautifully rendered, so very moving. I'm proud to call you my friend. xoxoxoxo

[Lisa]

thanks for your ovice for the furture genterations of the world. love the song as well.

[Lisa]

Wonderful! I love that song as well. Thanks for giving your voice to these children.

[AnnieElf]

Hearts are breaking around the world, Tara. So much pain everywhere all crystalized in this awful moment and through these deeply felt words.

[chiefbiscuit]

I hope this poem helps to spread the word that killing people (esp children) is never the right thing. Well done.

[kristen]

so lovely and heart breaking and i adore that song.

[jzr]

Thanks so much for your poem and your heart!

[awareness]

On my way to work this morning, not only was I thinking about the Sarah McLaughlin song, it came on the radio right at that moment. A couple of hours later, I stumbled across your beautiful poem, and was washed away with the sadness of the recent events in the Middle East, and surprised at how serendipity seems to be visiting me this morning.
The painting you chose to accompany your poem is stunning as well.

[patry]

A beautiful poem, Tara. Painful to read--just as it should be.

[bee]

this is so touching. thank you for sharing.

[jenclair]

Powerful. "the stories unimagined / you didn't live to tell" -- an epitaph of loss.

[January]

So many wonderful lines:

"Though promise in your eyes, your life unremarkable;
but your death captured our attention"

Womderful and heartbreaking.

The Sarah McLachlan song/line makes a wonderul tribute. Thanks you for this, Tara.

[Laura]

Your poem is deeply moving, Tara.

[ally bean]

"you mattered."

to me that is the essence of this whole middle east mess. the children mattered-- just not enough to stop the violence.

and i love the combo of the song lyrics within your poem. so smooth and apropos.

[miss*R]

how can we ever forget? and if we do forget it will be a crime - these poor innocent children. the same as our own children - playing, laughing, running, maybe drinking their glass of milk and then no more. gone. my heart breaks for the grief their parents must be feeling.

[AscenderRisesAbove]

I ran across this url this morning and thought you might want to take a look; a fellow artist in beirut

http://beirutupdate.blogspot.com/

[twitches]

Sad and beautiful. Thanks for writing it.

[sheela]

heartbreaking words. we remember with you. the painting is both terrifying and gorgeous when paired with the words.

[naturegirl]

You are the voice for these children..peace to you and all
who suffer.