The Lack by Laura Grevel

The Poetry Archive Now! WordView 2024 Entry
Poet’s Biography
Originally from Texas, Laura Grevel has lived in Europe for 24 years. Laura is a performance poet, fiction writer and blogger. Her writings are eclectic, tackling the immigrant experience, politics, storytelling, and nature. Her poetry has been published widely. Laura loves the international poetry community, and she often reads online at open mics and events. Please view her poetry performances on her RUclips channel.
Poem Description / Inspiration
This poem was written in response to the rise in overt hate, racism and violence in various Western countries. It is also a response to the ongoing wars in various countries.
Poem Text
The lack of respect is exhausting.
The blood, we can wipe away.
But the lack-
the lack threatens to crack
everything we own, everything we do not.
Why, do you see those men over there
with the ladder and the climbing equipment?
They’re dripping glue into that enormous
tear, where Earth threatens to split in two.
Trouble is,
When the tear breaks through the earth’s crust,
the glue will not be enough.
The molten heart will come pouring out.
By the time it cools,
we will be in another ice age:
there will be no turning back.