Listening To Pain

"I have woven a parachute out of everything broken."  - William Stafford

 can't seem to clear her voice from my mind
"No, no, no, NO!!! They can't have taken it.
I'm on a pension, they can't have taken my money."
one minute voice sweet and melodious, then
anguished utterings trying to brush away disaster

i don't know how to change her reality

a rough an tumble night on the emotional front
i am brought back to another disembodied voice
"Please you have to help, me please, please . . .
I just need milk and oranges for my children
desperate pleading trying to pull in compassion

i don't know how to change their reality

i am softly quiet, stunned disconnected
i can't believe she's dead and I didn't know
my father said, "I had no idea how to reach you,
she died two weeks ago, but I couldn't tell you."
sadly remorseful pleading for forgiveness

i didn't know how to change his reality

the sadness of anguished voices call each other
the pleading tumbles into one thread
tugging on my heart to recall the deeper truth
they may keep hammering there until it awakens
and i learn i am only the witness to their story

their reality is not mine to change