Day of Remembrance, and a Poem

There was a vigil on campus last night.   It was late for me, and I wasn't sure if I should stay; leaving all the dinner and bedtime work to my lovely wife.  I remembered later in the afternoon that I was already scheduled for a late-ish meeting... anyway, 5:00 turned to 6:00, and then to 6:30.  The vigil, and with it, a first (terrifying) (lovely) chance to finally meet more people like me was only half an hour off.  My wife was amenable and the kids seemed to be behaving, so I decided to go.

What an absolutely beautiful group of people.  "Spectrum" is a word that gets used a lot... and it fit us, gathered there, mixed and matched, remembering our brothers and sisters and friends.

We read through the death reports of about thirty transgender murder victims.  Some had names and ages, some only had the date when their body was found.  Some were beaten with rocks and concrete slabs, many were stabbed, most were shot. One was let out of a car, only to be run down and left dying in the street.

We had a hard time reading those reports.  Many were unclear about which gender, if any, the victim claimed.  Was the name their own, or the one on their birth certificate?  When it said "he was...," was it really one of our sisters, or truly a brother?  We tried our best.

So we remembered them, named, identified or no, and hoped and prayed together that next year, the list would be shorter.

Rest peacefully, beautiful ones.





Afterward, we all had a chance to write or draw our thoughts onto a paper quilt, of sorts.  I ended up writing a poem...  I felt bad, afterward, that I had rather written about myself, than about those we remembered... but anyway, I suppose my emotions are not unique, and in speaking for myself, perhaps I can speak for others who haven't found their voice.


In a dark world, and cold
  must I walk with burden great.
No peace or rest, yet hope to hold
  'gainst creeping doubt, and looming hate.

Spirit hold me, I your daughter
  through this lifelong plight, till life's begun
in Your great court and healing water
  when finally, down, I lay your son.