A Poem for Public Mourners
Well, I feel compelled to post something on 9-11 before midnight strikes. All day, I've been thinking about 9-11 and Katrina (and other well-publicized mass death events), and I've been tinkering with a poem dedicated to the mourners who lost loved ones in such events (and those of you who know me well know that I consider myself among that group). Those of you who know me well know that I also do not consider myself a poet -- I've written about 3 poems in the last decade!
Hard to MournHard to mourn
in front of a TV camera
Hard to mourn
with every newspaper reporting the death of your loved one in a list, a long, impersonal list
Hard to mourn
when your personal tragedy is part of a public catastrophe
Hard to mourn
when well-meaning people--at a loss for something to say--tell you that it is "God's will"
Hard to mourn
watching armchair psychologists on TV talk shows urging you to come to "closure" when all you want to do is wail.
posted by cgabor @ 11:19 PM
2 Comments:
(from Khonnie) Prof. Gabor, I really like that poem. You know what? I never thought of it that way. It's funny because just the other day I was watching a program on TV about the people that lost someone from 9/11. Everything's so publicized! It was sad for me to watch that segment because everyone on that program tried to be strong. No one cried or at least tried not to.
Hi Prof Gabor (Lisa C here):
This might be too late in the blog for you to even notice, but I like the poem, it makes my heart ache for you and others who have had to grieve publically.
There is a show called Starting Over which throws women who have things they need to deal with in a house with some life coaches. This season, one of them lost her mother on 9/11. I often think of you as I watch her separate the private with the public.
Great job on the blog. Truly.
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