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“Pantoum at Mercy-by-the-Sea”

Published:
April 29, 2024
April 29, 2024
Read "Pantoum at Mercy-by-the-Sea", a poem about peace hidden in a cruel world.

The sea’s practicing her endless Tai Chi—
her attraction and aversion to the land.
I like to pretend she’s beckoning me
to follow her slow dance upon the sand.

In her attraction and aversion to the land, 
her endless sweep of carcasses to shore,
I find a dance within me on the sand
as I try not to think of endless wars.

As she sweeps her carcasses to shore,
I scoop the sea and see the stars,
trying not to think of endless wars,
not to let my arms reach out too far.

I scoop the sea and see the stars,
practicing an ancient martial art,
try not to let my arms reach out too far
as folks are gunned down in a supermart.

As I practice this ancient martial art—
open from within
and play with waves
folks are gunned down in a supermart.
and bodies are dumped into mass graves.

I open from within, playing with waves,
try to transform my body into prayer
for people being dumped into mass graves,
for more tears than even the wide sea can bear.

Creators:
Judith Sornberger
Published:
April 29, 2024
April 29, 2024
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