Engulfed Coast 2005

The sound of a lonely flute
waves crashing on a Southern beach
the cry of a hundred thousand souls
rising above the chaos
leaving behind
thousands more in the wails and grief
the lonely flute is the call of our
shared humanity
the cries are the gentle goodbyes
we must make
as the waves of history recede
and return with yet another example
of our grotesque indifference
our penalty for failing
to heed the lonely
call for
compassion.

Oak Park, IL September 2005