Lament

David Breeden

We cry out in grief at
the suffering we see—
     people, all living things, the planet.
Preventable suffering, yet
     it continues, on and on.

When we feel overwhelmed,
     we gather to find a path,
     to find new ways forward.

When we feel overwhelmed,
     we know that to our right
     and to our left are
     the faces of caring,
     faces of companionship.

Joining together,
     we find our refuge.
     We find our strength.

We find our wisdom.
     We find our way forward.

 

Rev. Breeden invites you to present this as an antiphonal reading: one group of worshipers reading the lines in regular font, and a second group reading the italic/indented lines.

A sculpture by Jane Mortimer (