June 8th

“And his disciples came and urged him, saying, "Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us." Matthew 15:23b

we want you—
to tell the forgotten to stop
standing on the corner
with their pathetic signs.
to shush those stuck
in hopelessness voicing
their silly expectations that
we privileged will do more
than offer prayers
before heading out
to our safe, safe lives.
to place a restraining order
on compassion which keeps
stalking us, hoping we will
fall in love with it so deeply
that we cannot keep from
caring for the most vulnerable,
never realizing that when
we want to send the hurting,
the broken, the fearful,
the lonely, the grieving away,
forgetting that it is actually you
we want to get rid of.

(c) 2026 Thom M. Shuman

Venmo: @Thom-Shuman