Poetry and Prose By Tami Hay, M.A., RMT from All-Creatures.org

THE ONLY CRIES

Imagine if the only cries we heard
Were tears of joy not pain,
And not because we blocked our ears or muffled the noise
behind thick walls on the border of town.

Imagine if the only cries we heard
Were tears of joy not pain,
Because they still came from dining rooms but never slaughterhouses,
Sprung from celebrations no longer centred ’round another’s suffering.

Imagine if the cries we heard were only longing for belonging returning...
Cries for communion no longer drunk with blood.

Imagine if the Christ we breathe
Blew open the doors of the torture chambers
So that none could turn a blind eye
Would we fall to our knees and weep along with those within?
And would their tears of pain turn brackish our formerly joyful ones?

Two streams, artificially dammed, finally flowing together.
But would we take on the work of redemption
Created by the breaking of that dam? Would we undertake to purify the water
And wash away the blood? Imagine if we did.
Imagine if the only tears we wept and they wept
Were tears of joy.

© Tami Hay 2023

 

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