by Carissa Coane

The atoms that comprise each one of us,
Even those faces recalled without name,
Come straight from the stars: celestial dust
Flows through our veins; we are one and the same.
By some cosmic accident, you and I
Were born on soil where freedom is law,
Can mend our souls without threats looming high:
Organs purloined from corpses, throats wailed raw.
Five yellow pentacles, blood-red background:
A regime aims to dim Falun Gong’s shine,
Hide universal truths, keep them earthbound.
The persecuted’s plight is yours, is mine,
    For how can anyone really be free
    Until all bodies are deemed heavenly?

* * *

 

Recognized as an Honorable Mention in FoFG’s 2024 Poetry Contest