poetry – The Williams Telos

Sitting in the Rubble
by Inez Tan

Still, outwardly,
I go to work, I cook my meals,
I do my laundry, as though
my life consisted of acts like these.
Six of my friends lose a child,
three get into car accidents,
two survive shootings,
and only one says,
“It’s not a competition,” meaning
we shouldn’t believe we have to win
as if only the winner gets to grieve
while the rest of us bleed empathy.
Through it all, I think of you.
Every day, I miss you.
Happy are the brokenhearted,
for they do not condemn
what they have come to understand.

Originally published in Zocalo Public Square, May 8, 2020.

Written by Inez Tan ’12, a former Editor-in-Chief of The Williams Telos

Tag: poetry

Fullness

Sitting in the Rubble, a Poem by Inez Tan ’12