Bearing witness
be our companion as we bear witness
to the heartbreak of our neighbours.
In this era of COVID- 19, on the cusp of sleep, I startle at the noise from the plane flying low… My thought lands in three distinct syllables: Aer-o-plane.
Praise be for neighbours talking across fences, calling from balconies, waving through windows
in January during the Australian bushfires. My mother died in what feels like another era now, though it was only three months ago.
There are already people who cannot be present with their loved ones who are dying.
Some things don’t heal. There is a respectful knowing that doesn’t try to force healing or hope on people.