Poem of the week: A Loving Lament by Ron Whitehead

Good morning! Today's poem of the week is an incredibly moving piece by U.S. National Lifetime Beat Poet Laureate Ron Whitehead! I am deeply honored to have him back on the site! Check out his poem below, and make sure to look up more of his work!

Photo by Jinn Bug

A Loving Lament

By Ron Whitehead, U.S. National Lifetime Beat Poet Laureate

When the poet was a boy,

growing up on a farm,

surrounded by woods,

out hunting one day,

his father shot a crow.

When the crow died,

its spirit rose then rested

on the boy's left shoulder.

Through the years,

Death, speaking through the crow,

often reminded the poet,

at sunrise, at sunset,

in the day, in the night,

of the brevity

of all life.

In time, with failure as his best teacher,

the poet became engaged, understanding

that when one of us is lifted up

we are all lifted up.

The poet, having been blessed with mentors,

decided to become a mentor, endeavoring

to make a difference, somewhere, somehow,

for someone.

The poet learned that

a gift is not a loan.

The poet decided to give

without anticipation

of reciprocation.

In time, with death resting

patiently on his left shoulder,

the poet learned

to sing,

with grace and gratitude,

a soft, a tender song,

a loving lament

for a world

filled with suffering,

with sorrow, with tears,

with laughter, with joy.