Courage to Rise

What courage does it take to terrorize
what wisdom to believe the lies
what faith to trust the gods of war and greed
what intelligence to follow teachers of hate


A crucified Christ silently indicts
the politics of power, religion and state
actions born from accepted worldly wisdom
denial of the sacred for the god of belief

Truth is written by grief
on faces and bodies broken by violence
by loss of loved ones, of home, of hope

Pull the body from the rubble
take it down from the cross
carry it against the tide
away from the arena
against the crush,
the push of the crowd,
the mob’s rush
to violence and more blood

To the tomb lying open,
waiting deep in the soul
in the beating heart’s distress,
in the emptiness
there to find courage
to rise again in love