Haverhill-born poet Dr. Raymond F. Comeau further reflects on world grief with his new poem, “Suffering Hello.”
Comeau describes the work as “a meditation on the question, ‘Do people bring suffering upon themselves?’ And, it invites answers.”
Now of Belmont, Comeau is a retired dean and current lecturer at Harvard University Extension School. He is also a trustee, emeritus, of the John Greenleaf Whittier Birthplace in Haverhill.
Suffering Hello
I saw her startle with a punch
Her love who hit back
They’re living apart now
Suffering
There is a country I’ve heard of
That invades for what it wants
Causing counter-strikes and awful
Suffering in fields and homes
Like battles within myself
Of hypocrisy with truth
Or jealousy with love
Countless killing fields to suffer by
We are maggots in suffering
It’s our turf and our food
Isn’t it time
For a massive human overhaul
© Raymond Comeau January 2022