Käthe Kollwitz, ‘Zertretene’ 1900
The night before Friday 13th 2015 I could not sleep, then, all day long I was gripped by vague apprehensions, until I caught the news, late that night, about yet another atrocity devised to feed animosity rather than dialogue, this time in Paris.
I searched for comments that made sense, and formulated plenty of analytical thoughts, until I found a poem (below) by Warsan Shire, which expresses accurately how I feel, in sympathy with all bereaved, not just in Paris, but in many places across the world, and all who have cracks in their hearts to share the hurt, and that’s enough. Thank you Warsan.
… later that night
i held an atlas in my lap
ran my fingers across the whole world
and whispered
where does it hurt?
it answered
everywhere
everywhere
everywhere.
Earthrise, Dec 1968
This interview with Warsan Shire, the poet, will lead you to another page.
Course of Mirrors 
Yes, that poem says it all. I saw it on FB a day or so ago and felt the pain for the world.
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[to] “all who have cracks in their hearts”
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Perfect poem.
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Reblogged this on Jane Dougherty Writes and commented:
Wise, compassionate words.
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Thank you, Jane. Warsan Shire’s work needs exploring. In the beginning of the post, her name links up to another, longer poem, called ‘home.’
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That’s a tremendous poem. Thanks for sharing it.
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It is always a surprising world and most times inexplicable. Paris hurts all of us and I hope when it is explained, we have the courage to understand. The light will shine by us wanting it. B
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The courage to understand and not to manipulate the findings through narrow filters and opportunisitc exploitation of the situation will be a challenge.
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Yes.
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