Pieta

By Clara Blair

Her body lies broken in the arms of her friends.
This young woman, willing to risk her life for peace,
Has become another victim of the violence she opposed.
She did not have to be here, putting her body between
A small house and an armored bulldozer bent on its destruction.
Her home was in the Pacific Northwest of the United States,
But her heart was with people who had no home.

The manner of her death calls up images
Of other deaths suffered for human dignity.
Over and over we’ve seen the videotape of the student
Blocking the path of an armored tank in Beijing,
In Tienanmen Square, the Gate of Heavenly Peace, in 1989.
This was a hero whose courage inspired outrage and protest
Around the world. But how many know of Rachel?

Few have seen the photo of her bleeding onto the sand.
The silence from official sources has been remarkable.
Hers was not a popular cause, not celebrated by journalists
Nor embraced by the public in the safety of their homes.
American soldiers, a volunteer army, place themselves
In harm’s way and the nation watches televised broadcasts,
Anguishing over tragic deaths and injuries, as well we should.

But what of this other young American who died violently
In a foreign land? She, too, was a volunteer and she carried
No weapons but her convictions. Her sacrifice
Was just as real as that of our uniformed soldiers
Even though she acted without official support.
The nature of her death, though, is swept away as
“Regrettable.” Indeed, at the very least, regrettable.

She stood before an instrument of destruction powered by
Hate and vengeance – it ran over her twice before it stopped.
Again the victim is blamed for “acting irresponsibly.”
Many would say that she was acting very responsibly.
She shames me with her courage and responsibility,
Her passion and her exquisite humanity.
She challenges me to find my conscience and my voice.

© 2003 Clara Blair

In memory of Rachel Corrie, 23 years old, member of the International Solidarity Movement, killed by an Israeli bulldozer while trying to prevent demolition of a Palestinian family's house, in Gaza, on March 16, 2003. Read more about her on the Internet.