We Complained While the Sun Was Shining

Kitty Jospé

And when they did something to someone else’s life, we 

perhaps carried on, 
failed to pay
attention.  I was 

 feeling in a hurry, one said, I 

was overwhelmed by 
all

had
to do, another said and I was so 

busy and
on
and on
the 
excuses
piled
up.

But did you take a chair outside and watch the sun? 

I’m not sure who is involved with the “we”
if you were not complaining
but the fact is, 

whoever “we” is, has an impact on all those
involved and surrounded by that “us” 

and curious, the sun, so long the object
of worship, veneration and thanks 

was shining.  And we (forgive us) 

were complaining while it was shining. 

 

About this poem:
I was inspired by Ilya Kaminsky’s prologue poem to his book,
The Deaf Republic,  “We lived Happily during the War”.
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/91413/we-lived-happily-during-the-war