The Blue Lights

A single motorcycle

Led the silent parade

Face serious, determined

Eyes focused ahead

Leaning a little forward

A second motorcycle followed

A copy of the first

Then blue flashing lights

Announcing the long black car

The faces on the other side of the street

Solemn

Some holding small flags

A young man with his hat off

An older woman saluting

The long black car

Passed us by

I didn’t know this hero

Byt I felt a deep sadness

For his wife, his children,

His parents, his friends,

His co-workers

His neighbors

Even the people whom

He probably gave a ticket to

For speeding

Just in front of my church

We all silently stood by

While the blue flashing lights

Slowly passed

A parade of blue from Locust Grove Police.

Henry County Sheriff

Our neighbors from Newton and Butts

One from Eatonton, and Border Patrol

And many, many others

The tears slipped out as the procession continued

No one spoke

We all just stood and felt the wound

When one of us is injured

We are all injured.

If we sit at home

And watch it on TV

We don’t see everyone else’s pain

Close up

As I stood and watched each policeman

Drive by,

Some wiping their tears,

Others holding a strong face

Determined to keep it together

I felt the thread that binds us all together

When one human suffers, and we experience together

It is no less painful, but it connects us

And helps us heal..

Because we were all injured that day

Our brother, neighbor, son, father, fellow citizen took the bullet for us

And I honored him by standing in silence.

Thank you to everyone who showed up today

So we could grieve together.

We are stronger for it.

Love binds us together.