there are no easy answers
but who is asking–
when no one is blamed
but the shooter
we can arm or disarm
we can reify
& never rectify
the flaw in the machine
it’s not the absence of God
in our schools–
our schools are full of gods.
It’s conscience we’re lacking,
all of us jaded & bloated in
humanity so big we can’t see the other
as a we, as an I in different skin;
until we say us
instead of society, instead of them,
instead of the other
until we say me
& own this thing
that makes saints or monsters
giving some too much
& others too little
of what makes us us
we are in no way through this
Susan Daniels Poetry 
“Oour schools are full of Gods/ it’s conscience we’re lacking” is so perfectly put. Wow.
Thanks, Jeremy. Had to write
this–a reaction to something I overheard. About how if GOD was in our schools, what happened in CT would never have happened. Excuse me–I am fairly certain God was there, all of them were, and wept. Ugh. I hate pat answers.
Whenever I hear things like that the first thing that comes to my mind is that the suffering in the world is ongoing and overwhelming. And some of the most traditionally devout places suffer the most.
Oh, agreed, Jeremy. Faith was never a guarantee against suffering, and no god ever promised to free us from that.
I am of the opinion that people who say things are very unfamiliar with the world, even their immediate world. And of course, as a Jew, how on Earth could I ever utter something so ahistorical, so locked onto the assumption that belief in God safeguards a person or a community from persecution, violence and murder?
Yes, perfect case study. Thousands of years of persecution and suffering for holding true to that very thing.
This is brilliant – really puts some truth out there. Great stuff.
Aw, Mike, thank you. Sad Susan
is off for the day, as is breathless, emotional Susan, leaving only pissed Susan to write. Heh. I should probably stop now 😉
No. Pissed Susan is good (angry or drunk! 😉 )
LOL, angry. Do you know, you just gave me another idea for another poem, in answer to what you just posted on your blog? You are a dangerous inspiration, Panda-Mike.
“Seeing the other as ‘I’ in a different skin” is the key.
Exactly, Terry.
It comes down to valuing others as we do ourselves. The whole “love thy neighbor” thing in different words. Until we do this–until we grant that self in the other as having feelings like ours, promise like ours, dreams like ours, there can be no true change.
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it’s not the absence of God
in our schools–
our schools are full of gods.
It’s conscience we’re lacking,
all of us jaded & bloated in
humanity so big we can’t see the other
as a we, as an I in different skin;
Powerful and perfectly said.
Celestine–thank you. I am not interested in the easy answers here, the pat answers, which is where so many of us seem to be turning. Thanks for commenting–I am richer through your perspective!
Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes!
🙂 Yep. The easy answer goes nowhere with me.