And Ernie Cried

And Ernie cried
deeply
profoundly

he cried for me
he cried for you
he cried for us all

we needed someone
to mourn

for the world

to keen for
injustice
unrighteousness
greed
inequity

he cried for me
he cried for you
he cried for us all

he mourned for himself
he mourned for me
he mourned for you
he mourned for the world

for we needed someone
to keen for the children of Gaza
to keen over the dying in Sudan
to keen for the dead in Kharkiv

to sob
to moan
to beat their chest

he held us
with his sobs

he held us
not for wealth
not for fame
not for acclaim

he cried for me
he cried for you
he cried for us all

we needed someone

to show us
exuberance
tenacity
selflessness
determination
joy
and
love.

for Ernie Clement, Blue Jays World Series Championship team member, 2025

Evelyn Ward
on a rainy, blustery Nov 5, 2025