Confession
Kneeling, standing, half-distracted
We repent of the evil done on our behalf
Wars waged, boats bombed, bodies broken
The sacred scarred.
We repent of the evil done on our behalf
Naming sins against body, nation, land
The sacred scarred,
Our lives built blindly on others’ pain.
Naming sins against body, nation, land
Turning toward, turning away
Our lives built blindly on others’ pain
Weakly called to mind, then disavowed.
Turning toward, turning away
Wars waged, boats bombed, bodies broken
Weekly called to mind, then disavowed
Kneeling, standing, half-distracted.
Erin Lockwood is a writer, mother, Episcopalian, and political science professor who lives in southern California. Her poetry has appeared or will appear in Union Spring Literary Review, Red Door Magazine, Unbroken, and The Listening Eye.
