A poem for the dead

“I die daily”

It is not as if I planned on dying . . .
At least not at this time,
But I, we always knew
That death always lurked
In the white shadows
Of our lives

Our hues and pigmentation
Was a non-red flag
That signaled our presence
And that of their unfounded hate
For our existence

I bother no more about the ‘whys’,
For
Understanding it all
Is quite the conundrum of humanity
Or the lack thereof . . .
…..
Deal with it,
Live with it,
For it is what it is . . .
Isn’t it?

I stand,
Or should I say,
I lie now in this dark entombment
Alone,
There are many others who
Suffered as I do, did,
Having their dreams
And the promises,
And the hopes of our mothers and fathers
Snatched away,
All because of the abiding fear
Of our endurance,
And our strength . . .
Color!
……
A funny thing,
In spite of it all,
We are still here
As a firm reminder
Of the prevailing ugliness
That lives
Within us all

This is a poem conceived
From a cry of my ancestors,
A poem that had to be written,
A poem that had to be passed on,
A poem that hopefully some will read,
A poem for the dead

“I die daily”

© 22 september 2020 : william s. peters, sr.

www.iamjustbill.com

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A 2016 & 2019 Pulitzer Poetry Prize nominee, William S. Peters, Sr., AKA ‘just bill’, has devoted himself to poetry in 1966. Since the day he became a dedicated voice in making his creative expression public – regardless of form, he has held the passionate conviction that the written art is a necessity. The author’s spiritual essence reflects in his social actions, all of which serve his efforts to ease his personal angst and contribute toward the betterment of humanity and the reconciliation of its plight.

To date, Peters authored more than 55 books. His poems have been published in excess of 220 anthologies, newspapers and literary magazines. In September 2015, the author was recognized as the “Poet Laureate” at the Kosovo International Poetry Festival. His sizeable book, The Vine Keeper was awarded The Golden Grape Award and showcased in Rahovec, the festival’s center. Being so inspired by this communion of poets, Peters penned a book of tribute, O Sweet Kosovo . . . Dreams of Rahovec. This work has been since translated into Albanian by Fahredin Shehu, an esteemed poet and scholar, and was incorporated into the Rahovec School System in 2017.