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Eas in crucem

Loosely translated: To hell with you

By Sonia Heidi UnruhPublished 2 years ago 1 min read
Eas in crucem
Photo by Dave Babler on Unsplash

Tell me you hear the keening mother

rocking, rocking her limp bundle

Tell me charred flesh floats to you

like unholy incense

Surely you watch as

girls become prey

Taste my tears,

dry-eyed

God

*

**

***

A/N: The Latin title is borrowed from a speech by a (sadly, fictional) president. But the poem itself is a stanza from my own story.

(If you are not well versed in the West Wing and simply want to hear the Latin, it begins at 1:40)

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About the Creator

Sonia Heidi Unruh

I love: my husband and children; all who claim me as family or friend; the first bite of chocolate; the last blue before sunset; solving puzzles; stroking cats; finding myself by writing; losing myself in reading; the Creator who is love.

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Comments (5)

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  • Testabout a year ago

    So visceral and unsettling. I love it.

  • L.C. Schäferabout a year ago

    Oh wow this one hits hard! So visceral with the charred flesh 😮

  • Harbor Benassa2 years ago

    I love how the pared back nature of this challenge pushes writers to bring forth raw emotion. “Taste my tears, dry-eyed god” is such a powerful ending.

  • Paul Stewart2 years ago

    Wow. That's all I have to say, Sonia. You just are so talented, and with so few words, you conveyed so so much. Also, love a good bit of latin (I cheat and Google for it, but still love the language)

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