“Sitting in Active Silence”, Mark Tulin — International Human Rights Art Festival

“Sitting in Active Silence” Mark Tulin — First published at the International Human Rights Art Festival.

Sitting in Active Silence by Mark Tulin
 
I meditated with my eyes closed
in a small, narrow bedroom
with a rotating fan
that circulated hot air.
I knelt on a cracked, linoleum floor
with paint chips
on the windowsill.
.
In my humble voice,
I asked for peace,
for the safety
of suffering children,
a worldwide transformation,
a new alignment,
a government that embraced compassion,
not just a word in Webster’s
dictionary.
 
I sent out my support
to the vulnerable people,
manipulated by corporate strangers
and corrupt politicians,
that babies would no longer starve
and have fresh water
that flowed without
obstruction.
 
I asked for wisdom
to help vulnerable young girls,
awkward in their bodies,
to know that one style
isn’t right for everyone,
and that body shaming
does more harm than good.
 
I sat in silence for those who died
in genocidal wars
and the little boys
who were lost,
and the soldiers
who listened blindly
to their fascist leaders,
who stoked the fires of hate,
and who acted-out
their haunting nightmares.
 
I meditated with a dim streetlight
shining through my window.
I had an old, lumpy comforter,
bedsheets needing to be replaced.
I sent out strength to the families
who lost their jobs,
to get through our current crisis,
to put food on our tables,
for everyone to have shelter,
and for the sky not to fall.