Wreath

In a meditation I listened to today
the teacher asked
'How did we arrive here?-
if we did not believe all the things we believe were wrong
who would we be?'

80 people were shipwrecked today
27 are confirmed dead
41 have been rescued.
All were seeking asylum.
I cried when I read the news
Today
things became too much to understand.
I want things to be different-
or how can that even happen?
What do we do with such horror?
such sadness?
How did we arrive here?

I walked home
to my safe and warm home
and these flowers poked over the fence
I paused with them,

this life is a flash.

I made a wreath with them
and I threw it into the sea.
I dropped my head
I sat with all the sadness
and at the same time
in my heart
I gave thanks to this community
I bowed in recognition of the support we give one another
and type these few words into a computer
as an extended hand
to one
another,
as it's all one can do.