I felt it when you said “I understand I can not write the hate out of this world by loving you.” I remember during the pandemic when a colleague sent me a text after George Floyd died and said something like “I’m sorry. I can’t even imagine the conversations you are going to have with your sons about this tragedy.” I plan to write something like this for our marginalized sons. Hugs.
This poem breaks my heart and gives me hope all at once. Every word is true. Our grace, our privilege, is so random. Thank you for these words and for saying their names
Thank you for our conversation. You don't know how much that exchange has encouraged me to think about the shared work that's been happening and gets to happen. I appreciate you.
Myles will know you kept heartbreak in the forefront when it was easier to push to back and away. Courage isn’t always in action, there’s courage in witnessing too.
'What did you do when the world was burning?' -That is a very heavy question, and I love that you even presented it to yourself in preparation for the future conversations that will be coming as your son develops and matures. This poem is also so sincere and heartfelt. Thank you for this contribution to our virtual writing space, although it is heartbreaking it was also necessary.
This is exactly what I was thinking. So brave of Marc to consider the questions before they're asked. In Egypt, there's a saying that as we raise children, they raise us. I think Marc has been fathering himself since the day he became a father, and he is a better man for it.
Truest words. My own daily realisation as well. It invokes such humility and vulnerability, and has been challenging my capacity to trust. Yet that is also so essential to brave, as trust is something I want to gift my daughter. And you can’t just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk.
I just took a deep breath after reading this. So much suffering in this world, so much hatred, thank you for speaking love into your son, and showing in your way how we are all connected to oppression.
That’s such a profound question, if we centered the children would it be the same? The sad truth is that in America as in Israel, our kids are not seen as “deserving”.. I grappled with this question, funded lots of research papers and studies about how deep the racism goes and how it pervades policy but I did not lose hope that on an individual level people could feel this interconnectedness. But on a societal level people and policy reinforce dehumanization of black and Muslim kids. Poetry and spaces like this is where we could see through narratives side by side and feel deeply this collective pain
Profoundly heart wrenching, sad, true, brutally honest and beautiful - it took several minutes for me to type this response because makes one sit. Excellent
Heartbreakingly beautiful and brilliant.
I pray for a day when we no longer need such heartbreaking eulogies
Favour, yes, yes, and yes brother.
It’s so important to make the connections between oppression abroad and oppression in the U.S. Between children globally.
The more we do that, the more we can see our shared humanity.
Vivek, agreed. There is an innocence when it comes to children that should make conflict easy to resolve. It makes me sad that is not the case.
I felt it when you said “I understand I can not write the hate out of this world by loving you.” I remember during the pandemic when a colleague sent me a text after George Floyd died and said something like “I’m sorry. I can’t even imagine the conversations you are going to have with your sons about this tragedy.” I plan to write something like this for our marginalized sons. Hugs.
These are the conversations we will all have to have. I'm praying for the days we won't have to anymore.
This poem breaks my heart and gives me hope all at once. Every word is true. Our grace, our privilege, is so random. Thank you for these words and for saying their names
Grateful to be able to call you friend.
We do what we can to dream a new world into reality. Sending love, brother. Thank you for this.
Thank you for our conversation. You don't know how much that exchange has encouraged me to think about the shared work that's been happening and gets to happen. I appreciate you.
Glad we got to share with each other. Grateful for you and how you lead with love.
Thanks for this very sad and touching poem. I feel for these kids and their parents and loved ones too...
This has been on my heart so much lately. Thank you for reading.
I'm really glad you expressed what was on your heart.
Myles will know you kept heartbreak in the forefront when it was easier to push to back and away. Courage isn’t always in action, there’s courage in witnessing too.
This was beautiful, Marc.
Grateful for your friendship and helping me process this week. You are a gem - always.
Haunting. Beautiful, devastating words. 💔
Searingly beautiful.
Thank you, family.
'What did you do when the world was burning?' -That is a very heavy question, and I love that you even presented it to yourself in preparation for the future conversations that will be coming as your son develops and matures. This poem is also so sincere and heartfelt. Thank you for this contribution to our virtual writing space, although it is heartbreaking it was also necessary.
This is exactly what I was thinking. So brave of Marc to consider the questions before they're asked. In Egypt, there's a saying that as we raise children, they raise us. I think Marc has been fathering himself since the day he became a father, and he is a better man for it.
Thank you for being here and receiving this warmly - it means a lot.
Grace. Privilege. Mercy.
Truest words. My own daily realisation as well. It invokes such humility and vulnerability, and has been challenging my capacity to trust. Yet that is also so essential to brave, as trust is something I want to gift my daughter. And you can’t just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk.
I feel all of this. I want my son to ask me the tough questions. I have some years to come up with some answers. Thank you for reading.
I just took a deep breath after reading this. So much suffering in this world, so much hatred, thank you for speaking love into your son, and showing in your way how we are all connected to oppression.
Appreciate you brother. I wonder if we centered the children, could we really begin healing.
That’s such a profound question, if we centered the children would it be the same? The sad truth is that in America as in Israel, our kids are not seen as “deserving”.. I grappled with this question, funded lots of research papers and studies about how deep the racism goes and how it pervades policy but I did not lose hope that on an individual level people could feel this interconnectedness. But on a societal level people and policy reinforce dehumanization of black and Muslim kids. Poetry and spaces like this is where we could see through narratives side by side and feel deeply this collective pain
Beautiful and heart breaking
Thank you for reading, Reem.
Profoundly heart wrenching, sad, true, brutally honest and beautiful - it took several minutes for me to type this response because makes one sit. Excellent
Thank you, Aunite. I've been wrestling with this.
It placed an extended pause on my morning - that is for certain, and you are welcome!
Goosebumps 🥺