Mass, a definition
When headlines shout,
you look for the right words
A week late, USA Today notes below the fold, Mass grave with remains
of 215 children found at Indigenous school in Canada, an ‘unthinkable loss’
When headlines make you cry,
you separate emotion from fact
Emotion: the quotation marks give a big hint –
unthinkable loss / don’t think or worry, they’re found
Facts: mass grave, remains, 215 children,
Indigenous school, Canada
Grave / a depository for remains / whatever’s
left / and children, youth, babies, that’s grave
Indigenous school / the same ones we opened &
forced First Nations into the American machine
But this happened in Canada, British Columbia, not here,
not in the US – our hands aren’t bloodied by this one, breathe.
Relax. When headlines make you think too much, get lost
in the details, test to see if the definitions meet the criteria –
mass (noun) a large amount or number [a mass of bruises]
a number like 215 would easily qualify as a large quantity
When the right word comes to you, look at all the options:
mass (noun) a piece or amount of no definite shape or size [a mass of clay]
mass (in physics) the amount of matter in a body / bodies, plural,
would be more appropriate for our example / the masses, working
people as a class, or the public generally / acceptable grouping
for indigenous communities sending their 215 children for education
mass (noun) the service in the Roman Catholic Church and some other churches
in which Holy Communion takes place / music set to certain parts of this service
Pray. Just pray. And pray again.
When the right word is an adjective
mass (adj) of a large number of persons or things / which applies here?
Sometimes the right word has multiple definitions that fit.
9 thoughts on "Mass, a definition"
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Okay, sir. This is a masterwork for you. You own found poetry more than anyone I know, but the form, slashes, and movement one stanza to the next, with repetition of form/sentence structure rather than exact words or phrases (though you do that here too)….
And you tune it all to something/a purpose that is incendiary…
Still learning from you and your writing. Every day.
I echo Joseph’s words — he said it better than I could. I’d like to hear you read this.
At the next event where we gather to read and we are both in attendance, I will read this one for you. So glad to see you here!
An excellent poem, Jay! The intent plays out so well. Defining helps to take the emotion out of the fact, but the two are often so intertwined. In its own way, defining almost makes it more emotional because we are forced to think deeper, if that makes sense. Love the line “our hands aren’t bloodied by this one, breathe.” Wow.
This is a fantastic poem. I’m very partial to poems that blend in social realities. A generation or so ago “political” poetry was looked down on but I think that’s because so much of it was preachy or over rhetorical. Your writing here doesn’t preach it reveals.
Thanks, Linda. As you know, I am one for a certain bent toward the political in my writing. I look forward to reading more of your poems this month!
this is superb writing, friend.
Like the use of mass in all it forms and how you thread it throughout.
Favorite line:
Sometimes the right word has multiple definitions that fit.
such a broken kind of beautiful here. excellent work using both the austerity and complexity of definitions to separate just enough to bear writing it.