HOW WE SAY GOODBYE

(for Aqsa Parvez)
http://www.thestar.com/search?&q=aqsa&r=


my darling child,
rebellious
one
who sought only
what a child would,
how has it come to this?
the name of our God
is the same
yet you have died
because of Him
and i have
claimed
only
Love
in His Name.

God's own tears
can't undo
what
was
done
to
you

who is safe now
in the hands of God.
if only,
if only,
if only
one of us had known
(we did know),
had been there
to stop
him.

now
He holds you,
like a star in the sky.
you are my universe tonight.
i never cried
like this before,
never yearned to shed
my own guilt
so much
because
we waited
for it to come to this,
selfishly
failing
to protect
what you alone
could not protect.
my love will yearn forever to resuscitate
the will to fight
what you alone
could
not
fight.

i am your voice
and you,
my
darling
child,
were mine
because
i no longer
care
what
i will
sacrifice.

in death,
you
became
the child
of Love,
sweet sister,
beloved
child.

i am awake tonight
to pray
your life
will wake us all.
i am crying tonight
what tears can't heal.

in our mistakes,
humanness is forgiven,
but what happens
now.
we should have come.
we should have heard.

what there is to learn,
oppression
wears
your
face
and everywhere
we hear no answer
when we call out your name.
you
show
us
we
are
all
to
blame.

Our prayers must break our silence
like a storm cloud
until His Love reigns again.