I wrote this poem on May 23, 2017, on a Tumblr account that no longer exists. I wrote it after hearing about yet another massacre that happened because a man who was angry obtained a gun and decided to slaughter people.
Every time this happens, Congress offers “thoughts and prayers”, and does nothing.
I read “In Times of Tragedy” on episode 22 of my Words of Jen podcast.
Mourn the dead
Offer sympathy for the injured and the traumatized
Express your sadness in words, art or music
Cry for those who are forever lost
Donate blood if you are healthy and able
Attend a vigil or memorial with prayers, candles, and offerings
These are healthy, human, ways to respond in times of tragedy
Do not offer sympathy for the individual for group who caused the tragedy
Do not read news articles intended to soften and humanize them
Do not give page clicks to the vultures who want to monetize your sadness
Those who cause harm by violent, terroristic, acts have ceased to be human
Monsters deserve to have their names forgotten by history
In Times of Tragedy is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites.
If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on Ko-fi. Thank you!
One comment