Martha's Lament

if you had been here
   immigrants would find a safe haven within our borders
   families would not be separated
   you would soften the heart of our pharaoh

if you had been here
   hate would be a thing of the past
   your children would speak to one another with love and compassion
   swords would be turned into plowshares

if you had been here
   community building would replace isolationism
   fear of others would become love for others
   generosity would replace greed
 
if you had been here
   a cure for cancer would have been discovered long ago
   the opioid crisis would be non-existent
   health care would be easily accessible for everyone

roll away the stones,
the tombs of our own making