Let Us Pause

Holden Village, Chelan, Washington

Let us take a deep breath.

Let us pause
to remember the life of George Floyd who was pleading
for breath.

Let us pause
to say the names of George Floyd, Breanna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery
and countless others never forgotten.

Let us pause
to lament entire generations of Black Lives lost to
racism and violence, but not lost to time.

Let us pause
to look into the eyes of people of color with respect and
honor, to see people with our hearts.

Let us take a deep breath.

Let us pause
to say enough!

Let us pause
to shout the grief and anger and anguish that move
us towards justice.

Let us pause
to work to stand with all people of color, so that
white privilege becomes privilege for all.

Let us take a deep breath.

Let us pause
to address the issues that face us as an
Earth Community with resolve and resilience for change.

Let us pause
to rethink and re-imagine how our culture melds with other cultures
and how all cultures meld with the earth itself.

Let us take a deep breath.

Let us pause
and when we have felt our breath,
let us be reminded of the breath that was taken.

Let us pause

– Chuck Hoffman In Response To The Killing Of George Floyd, Minneapolis, MN