The following is a guest blog by Juan Felipe Herrera, the 21st Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry at the Library of Congress.
Sometimes all we have is the little song in our heart—the one responsible for lighting the way in times of trouble. The size of the trouble does not matter because the size of the little song is always larger than the size of the trouble—or tragedy. This little song we can call the poem—the tiny, brave crucible that carries our love into the universe. Here is my little song for what happened to one of our own, Nohemi Gonzalez from California State University in Long Beach, California, and to all that were killed and hurt in Paris, France—and—to all of those in the world suffering from these waves of terror. I invite you to write a little song from your hearts too. Your poem will make a difference that can cover the world. This little song from your heart will be an incredible first step.
Nohemi—a Song for Paris
Mimi—can I call you that
this is a song for you—
with candles we stand & we kneel
this is how it is now we
well all of us we
send you these flowers across time
this time here which we
cannot explain
all love goes to you
& your friends the other night
so many with you gone we
stand we play Lennon’s piano
Imagine—we say
a world without violence—
we want to imagine that in your name
Nohemi Gonzalez from El Monte
from Whittier California from
Cal State Long Beach—
then
we run out of words
the words
so many words your mamá
Beatríz your cousin Jacqueline
we know them now—for you
we write them a poem too
I do not know how we will do that
we are doing that—that is all
like the designs you made—for a high-spirited world
you said you were high-spirited, self-driven—yes
like the dreams you had
& the words First Generation
the ones you used to
describe your life
we continue with you—somehow
it is not important to know how
it is important to continue that is all
I must—say it again
we are all writing a poem
for you for your cousin Jacqueline
for your mamá Beatríz—she loved you
their love will make it alright
all of our love will make it alright yes
here is your song Mimi—
We light Nohemi a candle
the candle waves across the stars
close they are so close because
Nohemi & Paris are in our hearts
Because
Nohemi &
Paris—are in
our hearts
Comments (8)
the gunmen opened fire
the bullets flew
129 dead
one moment before , who knew
they came to a festival
among other things
fall in Paris
kinda makes your heart want to sing
life will go on
because it must
but , you only have this moment
give it all you’ve got
tears will be shed
hugs will be given
the dead will forever
influence the lives of the living
children will be born
will be told about it
will say I need to be a party of the solution
good will come of this
they will grow up
wanting to protect other folks
good will be the response to evil
as the Lord said thousands of years ago
” A NIGHT IN PARIS”
they will raise children
who will want to be like mom and dad
see a world in need of hope
remember the upbringing they had
teaching , medicine , military too
chances to help everyday through
lessons taught by mom and dad
children remember the life long teachers they have
those children will have children
know what mom and dad taught , too
the violence of ONE NIGHT IN PARIS
the motivation to help humanity , true
My name is Noemi Santana Gonzalez
so Nohemi’s death brushed against my spirit
as I earnestly spent Saturday reaching out
across the ocean to friends and souls I had just left
whose many destinations had jumbled in my head —
Did she go to Paris or was he on his way?
Is it better to not see the faces or
to have a smile reach out to you from a photo — now frozen?
Can you say “rest in peace” to those who so violently went down?
Nohemi in love with life, with Paris, so young — so short your time — for what and why was your role here?
May yours and all the fallen light in all a fire
to end this senseless loss of life and world in fear.
To The Words, by W. S. Merwin
When it happens you are not there
O you beyond numbers
beyond recollection
passed on from breath to breath
…
A Sudden Pause
From Sea to Shining; we
Connect with what media curators
Put before us and personalize, tears
Terror infested with fears
We, unite in silos of mirrored
Reflected emotions,
Not unanimous nor anonymous
in media social and vitriolic
Everyday innocents is taken
In the name of belief
Made homeless on earth
Passions put guns in hands
Where hearts have broken
Minds with numbing chatter
Some petition to refuse refuge
Some declare words make-a-difference
Some do not want to talk about ‘it’
Some deep in pretense draw analogies
Some fabricate, Some ridicule, Some look for
A punch line that drones will navigate
Valued more than life, takes lives
Neighbor and stranger, alike
Hope and Despair taengo
Nohemi is gone
but not at all abandoned
God and we love her
(haiku)
C L Couch
Names
They all had them.
There were proper nouns
to describe their singularity,
their uniqueness in this shit
of adverbs and adjectives.
When you are shot
your body empties itself
of blood, of everything
even your soul.
Sing a song of names
of Gonzalez and Nunez
and so many others,
a song of their names.
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