Series of 16 ATC's
Medium: Watercolor
Artist: Phyllis J. O'Rourke, M.A.
Date: June 20, 2020
Art-4-Art Artist Trading Swap
Lyons Regional Library
Lyons, Colorado
The words of the poem were influenced by two poems of Aracelis Girmay. I wrote this poem on the birthday of my father who would have been 107 years old on this date.
Here is a review in The Guardian of a book I highly recommend: "The Worm at the Core"
Litany & Elegy
who are the children
of
pandemics
dying before they’re born?
who are the children
of the
night
keeping candle-light vigils?
who are the children
of deep
dark sorrow
weeping by fallen statues?
who are the children
of
bigotry
weeding verdant gardens?
who are the children
of
ignorance
holding back their tears?
who are the children
of bias
washing down the blood?
who are the children
of
danger
standing up for justice?
who are the children
of
intolerance
putting their guns away?
who are the children
of
silence
not wanting to rock the boat?
who are the children
of
history
speaking for their brothers?
who are the children
of
unmarked graves
gathering to mourn their
sisters?
who are the children
of the
shadows
speaking to the light?
who are the children
of the
past
holding their place in line?
who are the children
of the
present
walking to the center?
who are the children
of the
future
returning to the world?
who are the children
of their
better angels
standing by the river?
who are the children
of
golden flames
marching in the streets?
who are the children
of
purest water
painting words of power?
who are the children
of
Mother Earth
sweeping up the sidewalks?
who are the children
of the
skies
forgetting how we breathe?
