Via Dolorosa

It is Good Friday, a holy day for me,
remembering the life-giving death
of Jesus of Nazareth,

I read today about a sixty-dollar Bible
just promoted by Donald Trump
with the American flag
and “God Bless the USA” on the cover,
and the United States
Declaration of Independence
and Pledge of Allegiance inside.

I often cry on Good Friday,
reading the story of the cross,
thinking about places of crucifixion
in the world since last Easter –

often warfare, injustice, suffering
from natural disaster,
human hatred and prejucdice,
the loss of species,
always a weepingly long list,

never before this
have I included the Bible.