Paramedics
rolled up
lights
flashing
sirens
wailing and
in
a blur of motion
they
hit the ground
running
hard
shouting
for help
cause
Peace is dying
drawing
her last breath
I
stood in the hall
watching
in shock
as
they rolled her
past
me
she
looked
done
in
the
blood was
everywhere
it
took my breath
to
see her injured so
such
gaping wounds
how
could she live
would
she live
I
followed them
to
her cubicle
where
in
a frenzy the
doctors
worked
to
save her life
seemed
like days
passed
us by as
we
stood vigil
in
waiting
to
see if she,
we,
the world, was
doomed
And
then at long last
there
was quite
as
the docs
stepped
back and
said,”
We’ve done
all
there is to do”
we
can only pray
that
she’ll come
through
and rejoin
the
living
I
sat by her bed
all
through the
night,
casting
prayers
to the
heavens,
asking
for
a little longer
to
keep her with
us
all, to cover us
with
her smile and
embrace
us in the
warmth
of her heart
She
caught me at my
praying,
looking hard
at
me through her
swollen
eyes and
mumbled
something
that
was hard to hear
I
leaned in closer to
listen
to what she had
to
say and this is
what
I heard
Go
head on and
pray
if you must
but
I gotta tell you its
praying
that is at the heart
of
my hurt,
the
knife in my back
the
bomb at your door
the
silent killer
Don’t
you see
everyone
thinking
that
their God is
the
best, the brightest
the
rightest and
they
act on it
everyday
in ways
that
drive me to
my
knees, reeling
from
the assault
of
a world gone mad
all
In the name
of
God
all
through time
carrying
on
saying
and doing
“My
God is bigger
than
your God”
shields
emblazoned with red crosses
death
to the infidels
“May
God bless us
Everyone”
“My
God is bigger
than
your God”
burning
non-believing
heathens
at
the stake for
their
heresy
tearing
down the temples
“Glory
to God”
“My
God is bigger
than
your God”
line
up for the
showers
all you
Jews,
Gypsies and Queers as we
clean
up a nation
“Sieg
Heil my God”
“My
God is Bigger
than
your God”
and
His book says
that
I may own you
all
aboard in
iron
bracelets
headed
for the
land
of cotton
“Praise
Gawd”
“My
God is bigger
than
your God”
and
to prove it
I’m
gonna blow
up
your people
bulldoze
their homes
leaving
nothing but
bloody
rubble
“Shalom”
“My
God is bigger
than
your God”
so
I’m gonna strap
on
explosives and
march
right into
that
crowded cafe
Boom!
Boom! and
“Allah
is Great”
“My
God is bigger
than
your God”
and
that lets me
shoot
up your
Protestant
school
its
okay if children
die
to prove
God’s
might
“Hail
Mary full
of
Grace”
“My
God is bigger
than
your God”
and
with my good
right
arm I’ll
launch
a fiery
cocktail
through
your
Papist
mother’s
window
she’s
dancing now
burn
baby burn
“Amen
and Amen”
Gasping
for breath
Peace
fell back on
her
pillows, tears
coursing
down
her
face, her monitors
sounding
the alarm
Now
barely a whisper
she
told of
Sikhs
and Hindus
Christians
and Muslims
Buddists
and Hindus Orthodox Christians
and
Muslims
Catholics
and Protestants
Hindus
and Muslims
the
combinations
pouring
like a river
from
her mouth
filling
the room
with
wave after wave
of
all the violence
done
to Peace and
her
people
in
the name of God
Peace
grabbed
my
hand and whispered
in
a voice ragged
with
the grief
of
the world
pray
if you must
pray
for us all
but
do it quietly
for
the sound of
praying is breaking
my heart....
Randi
M. Romo © 2002
