WEP CHALLENGE, APRIL 21-23, 2021, LAWD,LAWD, BY Pat Garcia
LAWD, LAWD by Pat Garcia
_
Looked to the east,
Spring revolution,
Freedom cries
Bodies lay in the streets.
LAWD, LAWD,
Freedom’s mourning.
_
Turned to my left,
And went further north.
People marched,
Demanding equality.
Bombs dropped,
Chemicals filled the air,
Agitation, pain, suffocation,
Bodies drop dead while moving,
Breath’s gone
LAWD, LAWD,
Freedom’s mourning.
_
Took flight and crossed over.
Gazed at the river,
Water, blue.
River wide, river deep,
Stepped quickly,
Turned aside to my right,
Someone waded the water,
People stood on the bank,
On the other side.
“There she is,” someone shouted.
“I got her,” said the other.
Plopped went the noise.
The shot shattered the peacefulness of the night.
Birds scattered from their nests.
The body kept swimming.
She reached the bank.
Her hand grabbed some weeds,
Blood muddied the water,
And the nappy-headed woman whispered through the dawn of the early morning,
LAWD, LAWD,
Freedom morning,
Before she sank.
_________________
Wishing everyone a lovely day. Take care.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat Garcia
- Posted in: WEP CHALLENGE,
- Tagged: 2021, LAWD LAWD By Pat Garcia, Poetry, WEP APRIL CHALLENGE 21-23
Walk On 
Hello Pat! This grabbed me and wouldn’t let me go. What a stunning piece for the challenge. LAWD LAWD indeed. Freedom mourning indeed. Best read with held breath.
I like your website!
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Thank you, Denise. I was happy to be back. I missed the WEP in February but it could not be avoided.
Take care.
Shalom aleichem
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Hi Pat – lost my first comment at this end. So many struggle and end up with Freedom Mournings … such a well crafted prose-poem … we hear of these so often. I feel for so many and count my own blessings … always remembering others in such dire circumstances … excellent entry. Here’s to hope that many have freedom mornings. Hilary
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Thank you, Hilary. That is my hope that many will experience freedom mornings.
Take care.
Shalom aleichem
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Powerful poem, Pat! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
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Thank you, Yvette.
Take care.
Shalom aleichem
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Freedom mourning – brilliant.
A call for humanity to do better, much better
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Thank you, Jemi.
Take care.
Shalom aleichem
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Well done, Pat…
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Thank you so much dear Bette.
Take care.
Shalom aleichem
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❤
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Aleichem shalom Pat.
Beautifully laid down tail of trauma like a colorful tapestry woven with memoirs of freedom struggle. Nevertheless, cost of freedom is always paid by life and blood .
Thanks for reminding.
Sanhita
https://projectionofnaught.blogspot.com
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Thank you so much, Sanhita. Yes, freedom is always paid by life and blood.
Take care.
Shalom aleichem
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Beautiful poem, Patricia. Great imagery. Poignant. Ditto what Hilary says. Thanks for reminding us. –Shalom aleichem, Carol
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Thank you, my dear Carol. Hope all is well with you.
Take care.
Aleichem Shalom
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So sad and powerful. Why is it that humanity is willing to inflict so much death and pain for the sake of ‘peace’ and freedom?
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Thank you, Olga. I asked myself that same question.
Take care.
Shalom aleichem
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Freedom mourning..That’s a heavy price we pay. Well crafted Pat. Very powerful.
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Thank you, Sonia. Yes, freedom costs.
Take care.
Shalom aleichem
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So sad. Too many struggle for the dream of freedom. Those of us who have it often take it for granted. And yet, still many wonder why in America this dream isn’t their reality. It’s my sincere hope that we all do better. A well written poem, Pat.
Nancy
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Thank you, N. R
I believe things will change. It will take work but change will come.
Shalom aleichem
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Poignant poem and a great take on the prompt. I’m always thrilled to see poetry entries 🙂 Loved the wordplay of freedom mourning – too true for too many round the world. Well done!
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Thank you, Nilanjana Bose. I love poetry too.
Take care.
Shalom aleichem
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Freedom Mourning is so right! It’s a sad time, but a changing time. Despite the facts, the history, I have to believe in the promise of change! Thank you for such a beautiful poem.
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Thank you, Yolanda. Yes, I too believe in change. Nothing remains the same.
Take care.
Shalom aleichem
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So graphic and excellent Patricia
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Thank you, my dear Susan.
Take care.
Shalom aleichem
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This was a stunning poem. The word choice and rhythm were simply perfect, and the imagery you conjured was powerful. Wonderfully done!
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Thank you so much, Laura.
Shalom aleichem
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This was such a strong poem, that gripped me with emotion. Absolutely fabulous entry for the prompt.
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Thank you, Kapana. It gripped my emotions too.
Take care.
Shalom aleichem
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This poem fantastically captures the unstablity of the modern world. As well as having a nice flowing pace about it. Well done, Pat.
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Thank you so much, Christopher.
Shalom aleichem
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A powerfully impactful poem that vividly captures the struggle to obtain freedom. Nicely done.
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Thank you, Toi.
Take care.
Shalom aleichem
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I absolutely love how you took “Freedom’s mourning” to “Freedom Morning.”
Such a sad, powerful, and unfortunately realistic ending.
You did an amazing job with this one. It deserves an award.
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Thank you so much. Coming from you, that means a lot to me. You are a writing expert.
Shalom aleichem
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A fantastic, powerful piece. I heard it set to traditional gospel music in my mind with a spirited choir singing it loud.
~cie from naughty netherworld press~
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Thank you, Cara. That’s wonderful to hear. Set to gospel music. I’m smiling.
Take care.
Shalom aleichem
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Love the play on words. Very special piece. Thank you
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Thank you very much, Dixie.
Shalom aleichem
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Excellent Job. Love the play on words.
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Very thought provoking. Nice job
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Touching imagery. I read a work in grade school of a woman swimming a river to freedom. For some reason, that image has stayed with me. I have always wanted to stand on that river bank and see what they saw. You helped me see it through your words.
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Fantastic imagery, and so powerful as well as heart-breaking.
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