When the houselights came up and people did not chat,
…..when they jumped on their phones to occupy themselves
…..lest they be undistracted too long,
When curbs to a federal judge’s power to hold someone in contempt
…..were stealthily added to the bad billionaire budget,
When I went to the protest with all those grey heads
…..and noticed my black neighbors were checked out of the fight
…..and the man I love like a son refused to listen to news anymore,
When Stephen Miller gave the word to bomb Houthi civilians
…..and Pete Hegseth concocted a way to get Trump his Qatari jet,
When Israel decided to colonize the spit of land
…..the Gazans they are starving call home,
When Kivu, both Sudans, Somalia, Kashmir, Ukraine
…..frothed in the sea as mountains fell, and five years after George Floyd,
…..police kill more people than ever, and Kristi Noem is someone,
When my list went on,
I was tempted Lord.
Memorial Day was a bitter taste in my mouth.

But when I turned to you, I remembered wonder:
Remembered anxious people reaching out to yesterday’s rainbow like a life raft,
Remembered over 1000 events planned to counter Trump’s vanity parade —
…..the “Tanks-Rut-on-Constitution-Ave. Day,”
Remembered concerts of talented children making end-of-year music,
…..Remembered Bruce Springsteen taking the hits with his hits for us,
Remembered new neighbors checking to see if we need anything,
…..Remembered the dogged kindness of the people in my church,
…..Remembered how we somehow got a new cat who kisses,
Remembered that affliction breeds endurance which breeds character
…..which still breeds hope, born again.
It is hard to stay bitter in May.

God help me, I felt Memorial Day possibilities
…..despite the day’s repulsive hypocrisy —
…..business people wading into the ocean down the shore
…..in their Odunde-like appeasement to capitalist gods.
But, God help me, some old men said we were born for a time like this.

Don’t give up America.
…..People bled for your best ideas.
Don’t give up church.
…..People are looking for you right now.
Don’t give up leaders.
…..Your good intentions are enzymes in the body politic.
Don’t give up high school grads, college grads, music students.
…..A.I. avoiders and creators,
…..inheritors of a warming earth,
…..first victims of the billionaire world order.
Please make something better.

Yes. Exceptionalism is an illusion.
Yes. America-the-better won’t save you.
Yes. The whole thing is a grift right now.
Yes. Memorial Day is a celebration of power not love —
…..at least not the love of bread, wine and miracle.
But very few are listening for America or God,
…..just yet.
No one sacrificed for Donald Trump in Germany,
…..or would.
So yes. You’re right.
But remember Jesus, beloved country.
…..Turn into visions of born-again better.
When you’re tempted to feed your list to the phone
…..eat the Bread of Life instead.