I am not just a news story
I am more than a statistic
The essence of my death is
so much more
and
so much less
than the media could ever convey
I am not an unknown person
Not to my mother, my brother, my nieces and nephews
Who giggle
as they pull on the many pockets of my uniform
“See you soon, Uncle Jimmy” they shout
Their innocence breaks my heart
They do not know of the complexity
between
the person who killed me
and me
the victim
Or the person I killed
And he
the victim
That connection in the moment of death
Mine or his
It goes so deep
So far
This is not a life or a death
of an unknown person.
I am known
He is known
It is not to be taken lightly
This is not a fight to the death
to then discard
as unknown
I am more than a statistic
And I am not separate to you
It is you that killed me
And it is you that I killed
in this infernal dance
Until
unless
we choose to stop
To sit
with my truth
And
with your truth
and choose to stop
This poem was channeled for the Peace Pavilion at the Bali Spirit Festival 2024
(c) Catherine Shovlin
Free Spirit 