"Have you considered grief?"

"Have you considered grieving?"

"Have you considered grieving?"

I said to a lover scorned

by a long-time lover?

It wasn't one of the options

on the coffee house table

Quick anger, blame, condemnation

drugs and an array of other escapes

Climaxing in

Violence to hated self

Violence to hated lover

Were more well worn reactions.

"What do you mean by, 'grieving'"?

"Have we considered grieving?"

America?

When quick anger, blaming, condemning

left, right 

guns, lack of guns,

minds, too opened or closed,

foreign terror, or domestic hate

Are our well worn reactions.

"What do you mean by, 'grieving'"?

Blame begets blame begets blame.

Being the first to blame

doesn't grant immunity from being blamed

So we continue entrenched

divided by defensiveness

and offensiveness

You know that pit in your stomach

The one blaming others hasn't assuaged?

You know that feeling that waves are overwhelming you

Rolling over you, and you can't gasp a breath?

What do you say?

What do you do?

Lament.

Grieve.

Be quiet for a while.

Pray.

"Kyrie eleison"

Be gracious to me, O LORD, 

for I am in distress; 

my eye is wasted from grief; 

my soul and my body also.  - Psalm 31:9