Month: July 2020

I can feel it
Your fear

The long, narrow fingertips of your voice reach out for me
Me… and others like me

In years past, those fingers simply tapped me on the shoulder
But more recently, their grip is strong
And the persistent shaking, undeniable

Your mouth moves, but the words are lost in the chorus of others
And as my eyes move from face to face to face,
All lips synchronized, all bodies tense,
The words no longer matter

The fear is there
In the sea of faces
In the oceans of sweat and tears and blood
In the low hum of mothers crying
And the loud roar of those seeking justice

And as I place my hand in yours,
I can feel it
The fear turns to courage
The pain to strength
And together,
We move forward.

Tori Burris Inkley
7/26/20

Sitting
I heard
The droplets fall
Filling the space with clean, with fresh, with new

Standing
She felt
The droplets spray
Filling the space with gray, with sick, with despair

Kneeling
He watched
The droplets run
Filling the space with red, with defeat, with death

Tori Burris Inkley
7/21/20

Come
Sit with me in the mist of this foggy morning
Earth cleansed by recent rainfall
Air as thick and unclear as our world

Feel the tiniest droplets on your skin
Cool and light
There, then gone
Like a word, a thought, a breath, a life

Do you feel it?
The uncertainty
The gray
The potential for both blue skies and storm

Are you willing to sit with me in the mist?
Breathing in this unpredictable air
Wrapped in the world’s unsettled arms
Listening to its undecided voice

Let’s be uncomfortable yet determined together
The sun may shine
The rain may fall
But only after we wander the fog

Tori Burris Inkley
7/4/20