Mantras For The Rest of Us

I have no words for the grief I feel
 The grief felt by the NZ Mosque shootings
 All I feel is guttural-
 Deep grief
 Deep rage
 Deep loss
 
 I scroll through the faces of all the people. Read their names. And bits of their stories.
 I know nothing about the shooter and hope to keep it that way.
 I hold the names- scared
 The smiles- sacred
 The stories- sacred
 I see the faces- they are sacred
 
 We keep losing globally!
 We keep losing-
 Mothers
 Fathers
 Sisters
 Brothers
 Children
 Aunts
 Uncles
 Grandmothers
 Grandfathers
 Friends
 Lovers
 
 The loss is a chasm deep and wide.
 It is not only a loss for the Muslim community it is a loss for the world community.
 
 We need each other
 Every story
 Every song
 Every meal
 Every greeting
 Every embrace
 
 What are we with out
 Each other