This month’s selection of poems are political and heartbreaking and eye opening and they all require empathy. Empathy is a choice and it’s one that most people refuse to adopt even in the worst times. I’ve included a new and timely piece from my hero Clint Smith as he contemplates the cruelty of war (though war can be on American soil and in a country far away). His writing comes shortly after the Las Vegas massacre, which I’ve directed toward the second and third poems. Each focus on the politics behind these horrible acts and how they keep happening. The last is one I found too beautiful and moving not to include with the rest. I hope you enjoy them all.
