It Happened Anyway; by Mattie Stepanek

When Jamie died
And I didn't even understand
The eternity of my sadness
I wished I could have prevented it
But then, I remember
It happened anyway.

When I rest in my bed
And dream about how I could have
Lived and played with my brother
I wish I could have stopped his death
But then I remember
It happened anyway.

When I look at pictures
And imagine what he would be like
Now a dozen years old
I wish I could have saved him from agelessness
But then I remember
It happened anyway.

When I hug our mommy
And we think of why and how, and
When he was with us and left us
We wish we could have prevented it
And stopped his death and saved him from
Never needing breath for birthday candles'

But then we remember
Though we don't understand
It happened anyway.

9/11/ 2001 by Mattie Stepanek

It was a dark day in America
There was no amazing grace
Freedom did not ring
Tragedy attacked sky high
Fiery terror reigned
Structures collapsed
Red with blood, white with ash
And out-of-the-sky-blue
As children trust elders
Citizens find faith in leaders
But all were blinded
Shocked by the blasts
Undefiable outrage
Undeniable outpouring
Of support, even prayer
Or at least, moments of silence
Church and state
Could not be separated
A horrific blasting of events
With too few happy endings
Can the children sleep
Safely in their beds tonight?
Can the citizens ever rest?
Assured of national security again?
God please bless America
And the rest of our earthly home.

A New Hope by Mattie Stepanek

 

I need a hope.a new hope.
A hope that reaches for the stars, and
That does not end in violence or war.
A hope that make peace on our earth, and
That does not create evil in the world.
A hope that finds cures for all diseases, and
That does not make people hurt,
In their bodies, in their hearts
Or most of all, in their spirits.
I need a hope.a new hope,
A hope that inspires me to live, and
To make all these things happen,
So that the whole world can have
A new hope, too.

For Our World; by Mattie Stepanek

For Our World
We need to stop.
Just stop.
Stop for a moment.
Before anybody
Says or does anything
That may hurt anyone else.
We need to be silent.
Just silent.
Silent for a moment.
Before we forever lose
The blessing of songs
That grow in our hearts.
We need to notice.
Just notice.
Notice for a moment.
Before the future slips away
Into ashes and dust of humility.
Stop, be silent, and notice.
In so many ways, we are the same.
Our differences are unique treasures.
We have, we are, a mosaic of gifts
To nurture, to offer, to accept.
We need to be.
Just be.
Be for a moment.
Kind and gentle, innocent and trusting,
Like children and lambs,
Never judging or vengeful
Like the judging and vengeful.
And now, let us pray,
Differently, yet together,
Before there is no earth, no life,
No chance for peace.
September 11, 2001
© Matthew Joseph Thaddeus Stepanek 1990 -2004
from Hope Through