Loading...
Loading...
Click here if you don’t see subscription options
Rebecca JohnApril 11, 2017

A little flame flickers atop
Layers of ivory icing and ebony chocolate while
Giddy smiles and songs commemorate
Six years.

A growing flame gnaws on firewood as
The glass jar of coins grows continually emptier
Frigid air and no food but the glass is still
Half full.

A streak of flame with a gunshot amidst
Air laden with unaddressed tension and hate with
Violence brimming to the point of
Necessary release.

A burst of flame as another bomb lands amongst
A plethora of drills, tears, and childhoods massacred while
Terror displaces authority in the name of
Religion and rights.

A feeble flame burning on a trembling torch as
Miles of walking through the dark night towards freedom
Slowly beat down the soles of her little feet and
Resilient heart.

A renewed flame within her soul when
A land of safety is attained and the danger disintegrates with
Simply memories of home and the past and
Childhood restored.

Simply memories of home and the past and/ Childhood restored.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.

The latest from america

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who has publicly stated that he does not recognize the legitimacy of Pope Francis, has been declared excommunicated for schism by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
Gerard O’ConnellJuly 05, 2024
Vandalizing another culture's sacred art is not a heroic act. It is an example of resistance to inculturation, part of the process by which the faith has become rooted in disparate cultures throughout history.
James T. KeaneJuly 03, 2024
Georgetown professor Jacques Berlinerblau, an expert on secularism, argues Catholics should be wary of Louisiana’s new law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public classrooms.
Connor HartiganJuly 03, 2024
A Homily for the Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, by Father Terrance Klein
Terrance KleinJuly 03, 2024