Murmurations of Becoming More Human – a poem by Angela Hoffman

Murmurations of Becoming More Human

We watch the spectacle of horror, 
view the theater of rubble,
sense the slipping of humanity.
Violence begets more violence.
Grief is palpable, helplessness, insurmountable.

Life is bound to rules of loving. 
If you don’t believe, watch the synchronized movement of 
a school of fish, a swarm of  bees, the murmuration of starlings, 
never colliding, just moving as one large being. 
There is no single leader, no outsider,   
just a requirement to watch out for your neighbor.

One small act of kindness makes a difference;
an invitation to attract another starling to the group,
swooping and swirling, rising.
Wings transform to His hands and feet, 
becoming more fully human. 

Angela Hoffman lives in Wisconsin. With her retirement from teaching and the pandemic coinciding, she took to writing poetry. Her poetry has been widely published. Angela’s collections include Resurrection Lily 2022, Olly Olly Oxen Free 2023, and Hold the Contraries, forthcoming 2024 (Kelsay Books).