Children of God

a silence within silence begins to bloom
into an action of uncompromising courage
I dig to unearth my reticent voice as tirades
sully the calmer waters of my comfort zone
as conquering truth crafts its half-life to virtue
tears wet my pillow as I commiserate with my
fellow saints killed in another church shooting
these are my people—like them—I am LDS
an ordinary man trying to follow Jesus Christ
my brother and a friend who only sow peace
in fact—every school and religious shooting
carves away another serving of my spirit
for all these people are my people

every act of bigotry, of hate, of violence
chisels its mark in the atria of my weary heart
these are my people—everybody is our people
our endless spirits walk as brothers and sisters
as one family under loving heavenly parents
still—noises within noises continue to bloom
pumping their mists of fear and trepidation
at last—I hear a calm voice in my wilderness:
“Blessed are the peacemakers
for they shall be called the children of God”
all the grace of our rivers must flow together
wider—deeper—purer—as loving peacemakers
for we are all His people—we are children of God