Jesus Knew Redux

(Psalm 22 on the right, response on the left. Style inspired by many poems of Kestrel.)

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? 

Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 

Of course You knew

You still begged

O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest

Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel

Is it enough that Your Father knows?

 In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them

I taste blood everywhere
I smell tears of pain
I see a blood red sky fade into a blood red ground
I hear bangs and booms of guns and cannons
I feel heavy from the weight of my bloody title
I watch as brave people die for what they believe
I cry as I see families come and visit the place loved ones fell
I pray I can have peace once more
I caress the faces of dead men and women
I wait patiently for the time I will be holy and respected
I know that probably won’t happen
I have been the meeting place for death

Good luck in life!
Your mother has addictions
Your brother’s home is Juvy
And you sister wants one of you.
I’m sorry you don’t know your father,
But neither does your mother.
Do you belong in this world or the next?
What are you?
Black, white, pink?
You are one of a kind JaVon
So what does that make you?
You are gray,
That is what you are.
Good luck in life!

I see black and blue bruises covering a small body
I smell fear and helplessness from those who don’t know what they did
I hear heart-wrenching sobs coming from a small body in pain
I feel broken glass broken bottles and broken bodies
I taste warm blood coming from an abandoned baby left to die
I watch helpless as a parent takes a life they brought into this world
I cry for the unmoving body lying there
I fear there will be more, if only people would listen
I stand in place, hard and unmoving
I wish I were soft, I would hurt less

I tear at people’s hearts all of this day
I see people’s eyes watering
I killed brave men and women
I blow a sweet good-bye to the soldiers
I gave the world another sad child
I lift eyes like smoke
I pulled people together in a few simple hours
I feel the power of our people
I smell our victory
I die with the war, but I still live on
I taste red, white, and blue
I am September 11th.