(Poem about the indescribable and horrific attacks in Paris. The poem is inspired from recent images of buildings covered in French national colors signifying solidarity and human defiance against terror).
Silent magnificence held in awe,
signs of man’s accomplishments,
They stand – as the planet’s signposts,
pilgrimages for men, women, children,
places of romance, love, sweet partings.
Cousins borne of man’s blood, tears
over centuries of hope, revolutions, despair
held strongly in broad columns.
Their silence only hides
our everyday follies, shame and arrogance.
Their days mostly spent,
In quiet aging splendor,
Dotting the globe,
Landmarks for celestial travelers.
Today, they stand defiant –
Encased in splendor of singular colors,
Magnificence of Blue, White and Red.
Colors that could be anywhere
but, today show hushed defiance.
A solidarity of hope, anger, and betrayal,
for a distant cousin, who stands today,
Darkened and splashed in black.
Only if momentarily – a hushed defiance,
against man’s violence on it’s own,
against a terror that stands for nothing,
But it’s own and very own.
A lone warrior – old, wizened
from many fought battles,
stands in the cold dead night,
watches quietly – as a city of color,
Lights, splendor, now –
Stands in darkness, only briefly.
The lone warrior – waits for
The magnificent standing seven to be together,
join with their cousin
Proud in Blue, White, Red.
Colors that could be anywhere,
But today – permanently joint together,
Now bonded by centuries,
Strong columns and arches,
Held stronger together – never to be in terror again.