Hi Karen,A preliminary response . . . also attached.Ellie :)elliestock@aol.com ITHOUGHT I HAD SHED ALL MY TEARS Ithought I had shed all my tears, alifetime of tears, dropsrivuletting canyons in once smoothe skin, cascadinginto deltas and emptying into a sea of sorrow, nowparched and dried like myonce choking and burning throat. Ithought I had shed all my tears, alifetime of tears, sobsof shock and pain muffled in pillows, deepshaking heaves trying to catch breath, threateningto suffocate. Ithought I had shed all my tears, alifetime of tears, ofhurt and hurting, of remorse for the done and undone, thebetrayal of and by those close, thefinal separation from loved ones, land, andwhat is most cherished, ofsleepless nights and prayerslike drops of blood for the sick and dying, ofbirths that never were. offading health and dreams. Ithought I had shed all my tears, a lifetimeof tears, screamsand cries of anger, fear, and anguish over thecorruption, consumption, and killing fields of Earthand all that is in it, billionsof years extinguishing inthe embers and ashes of truth and justice, communitiesand trust shattered, innocentsuffering, sacrednessviolated, sorrow unbounded, lamentingechoing lamenting, looping and looping and looping, griefunbearable, unconsolable, overwhelming, numbing, dried,vacant eyes staring stoically into the void, filledwith harpies advertising, urging, encouraging toeat, drink, and be merry. But howcan I sing while mourning in thisstrange, foreign land? Ithought I had shed all my tears, alifetime of tears, no more left to be wiped away. Iwoke up in the middle of the night, anxiouslyawaiting dawn, but theheavens were weeping, lightning andstreet lamps the only light, cloud-bursting,four winds swirling, thundering,torrents and storms of tears, piercingthe soil and bouncing off asphalt, quenchingthe drought-thirsty trees losing autumnmuted colored leaves, tryingto cleanse, to refresh, to renew, to regenerate theparched planet and also piercingmy soul, drilling into unbeknown,untapped fossilized tears that melted, trickled, moistenedeyelids, then gushed, flowing,cleansing and renewing. Norainbow but deep gratitude and stillness and a newCovenant with a new day and Allthat is in it. ThenI calmly reached for a box of Kleenex. ejhs 10/30/2023 On Sunday, October 29, 2023 at 06:53:03 PM CDT, Karen Snyder via Dialogue <dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net> wrote: This week the Daily Good had an article by Francis Weller called “Drinking the Tears of the World: Grief as Deep Activism”. Weller articulates four gates of grief that I have never known how to acknowledge before: 1. Losing someone loved 2. Neglected places of soul such as as a sense of shame and feeling of inadequacy 3. Losses in the world of species, habitats and cultures 4. Loss of community and rituals that keep us connected to our soul With this understanding one realizes that everyone grieves. I find myself wondering how much anger and hatred in society covers a deeper experience of grieving. What is your response to this writing? Peace and love, Karen Snyder Troxel_______________________________________________ Dialogue mailing list Dialogue@lists.wedgeblade.net http://lists.wedgeblade.net/listinfo.cgi/dialogue-wedgeblade.net