We are bestowed

The state of life

A spiritual existence;

We breathe

And form ideas,

Spend our days

By our choice,

Expressing art.

Like a phenix-

Each unique

We move and act

And believe

Partially or totally unlike

Then like breath we pass

Go gently

And are remembered

for who we were

For our beliefs

Either earthly or divine

It is our own choices

That create us,

Those that remain at last.

There is no right nor justice

That last gentleness to take

There is no fact, nor truth

About the life

One should make.

Whatever we believe in

Be it humanity or heaven

Pleads for tenderness

And sympathy for man

You may fight for the ill-treated

But not ill-treat

No law, no God,

If there shall one be

Allows to take

What is not yours.

For like a phenix

We are without a like

There is not a right way to be

We should be free

For if not,

We are not we.

You can tear down our temples and pillage our streets

And you can make our world go up in flames

...but not with out a fight.

You will be met by nations united as one-

As we were meant to be.

By soldiers and citizens,

Arm in arm,

We will fight.

And we will prevail.

I didn't hear the gunfire

I didn't see the chaos

I didn't feel the horror

I can only imagine

Flashes of light and jostling bodies and rattling bullets

Running and tripping and dawning realization

Snippets of shouts for loved ones

The awful hollow thud of what used to be a person hitting the ground

I can only imagine

I cannot fix this aftermath a bit

I am sitting safe in my warm mountain home that has never faced such violations

I am ranting to the wall about the depth of human depravity and how it astounds me

I am wanting the means to help those left behind

I am praying that relief will come swift and easy

I cannot fix this aftermath a bit

So I leave with them my greatest most powerful sincerest wishes

Peace to the sobbing mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers

Solace to the broken best friends and buddies and comrades

Courage to the fighters and soldiers and helpers

Vengeance to the oppressors and devastators and beasts

So I leave with them my greatest most powerful sincerest wishes

I see the images of destruction

I hear of the death toll climbing

I feel the world rising in defense of those wronged