Lament for Ruth

“My most fervent wish is that I will not be replaced
until a new president is installed.” Ruth Bader Ginsberg, 2020

This Breaking News has broken
my heart, my hope.

Justice, my grief is suspended in fear.

What is to become of the poor, the abused, and the desperate
with overburdened wombs?

What is to become of the immigrants and the asylum seekers
caught in wire nets?

Who will ensure our POC, our LGBT, and non-binary
won’t be erased?

Justice, my grief is suspended in guilt.

With every Breaking News story of recovery
against all odds, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Your slight frame and bowed head
belied your strength and resilience.

Did our selfish prayers for your health and longevity
tie you to this mortal coil beyond your endurance?

Justice, my grief is mine to bear, not yours.
Go now to your final rest, in peace.

Notorious RBG. You were as big as a hummingbird,
but you had the wingspan of a condor.