If Only

If Only

If only tears
Could wash away
The hate
Could bring back
Life
Bring comfort to
The grieving
Bring kindness to
The forefront
If only tears
Could wash away
The hate

Biddeford, Maine
Please know
Tears flow for you
All over this 
Country
All over this
World
Tears of love
And sadness
And apology

Immigrant community
Please know
We the people
Weep
Our sadness
Comes with 
Our anger
And our love
We 
The people
Weep.
 

Johan Sebastian Guerrero
Do you see
The tears?
Can you feel
Our grief
For life lost
For country ideals
Gone wrong?
We 
The People
Know
You did not deserve
To die
Your family 
Did not deserve
To lose you.

We the
People
Must not cry
In vain
Once again.

We must appeal
To the powerful
Write letters
Make phone calls
Protest injustice
Pray
Strive desperately
To hold onto
Hope
For our country
Our world
 
If only tears
Could wash away
The hate. 

Patricia O’Connor
July 2026