Love in its complicated manifestations

The white cop got out of his car, parked the wrong way on the wrong side of the street. His driver door left open in his haste. 

Then he stood, staring, on the sidewalk. 

50 people with assorted protest signs gathered next to the ICE detention center in a circle in prayerful meditation, beaming love in its many complicated manifestations. 

As the people continued their intense love prayerful manifestation for freedom, peace and justice, Thawing ICE with Compassion, the cop quietly as a mouse walked back to his car and drove away unnoticed. 

Later, another police car drove slowly by, with two policemen. The passenger window rolled down. 

A meditator close to the curb smiled and waved. The cop waved back and gestured to the blue sky with fluffy clouds and the warm sunshine bathing us all and said, “Isn’t it a beautiful day?” The meditator flung her arm high in salutation to Mother Sun and said, “Yes, it is a beautiful day!”

About this poem

Yesterday was the 2nd anniversary of the monthly Buddhist Peace Fellowship prayer vigil at the ICE detention center at 4310 SW Macadam in Portland, Oregon. The second Thursday of every month at 12 noon people gather to Thaw ICE with compassion. This is one poetic reflection on yesterday's event.

This poem is part of my Solstice solar year poem cycle, where I write a poem a day from June 22, 2019 to June 21, 2020. The poem a day may get posted on a different day than it was written, or several poems might get posted on the same day. And if I choose to submit a poem to a literary journal, I delete it from this blog before doing so. That's my project. I hope it touches your soul and makes you think. And maybe inspires you to write more poems of your own.