Vigil
It is Saturday, raining and the sky hints of snow to come. I do not mind rain in wintertime, or any time. Trees need water, a subsurface soaking. Lately rain seems to come less frequently, sometimes weeks pass with little to no moisture. Like it or not we (humans) belong to Nature, we are nature. I hope that you do not object if I capitalize the word Nature. What I mean to indicate is a global giving and taking, birth to maturation to aging to decay — of everything. Perhaps a mountain is a life form. You could even say El Capitan, the granite monolith in Yosemite participates gradually in the process…
I was present in the early evening yesterday for a memorial vigil, a grieving ritual for the murder of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis. She was a mother, in her vehicle on the street, near her house, – to be fatally shot in the face by a Federal ICE officer. Her driver-side window was down, and the video reveals a smile moments before she was shot. The Batavia vigil was held by the Peace Bridge, adjacent to the village hall. I would estimate around 150 people came for the impromptu gathering. A low stone wall facing the river served as an altar, placed with candles and pictures of Renee and others who have died in ICE custody.
Three speakers read a list of people of all ages, from many countries, who have died over the last few months. A pointed reference was made to many murdered on our southern border, some who lay in unmarked shallow graves in the desert.
A vigil is a terribly sad experience.
The gratuitous bloodshed must be stopped.
A song, a song to tether us to earth and sky. This one by Joe Ely gets the job done: Boxcars.
