IN THE TIME OF THE TUMULT OF NATIONS
We thought that the worst was behind us
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We planned and we saved for the future
in the time of the tumult of nations.
The crowds in the streets were uneasy
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We murdered our annual victims
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We were fined if we smoked in the cities
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We gave and deducted our givings
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We kept the bad news from the children
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We wakened from nightmares with headaches
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We voted for men we distrusted
in the time, in the time, in the time,
in the time of the tumult of nations.In the time of the tumult of nations
the ones who were wrong were the loudest.
In the time of the tumult of nations
the poets were thought to be crazy.
In the time of the tumult of nations
the President answered no questions.
In the time of the tumult of nations
protesters were treated like traitors.
In the time of the tumult of nations
the airports were guarded by soldiers.
In the time of the tumult of nations
young women kept mace in their purses.
In the time of the tumult of nations
the rich were exempt in their mansions.
In the time of the tumult of nations
we waited for trouble to happen.
In the time of the tumult of nations
we lived for the weekends like children.Like children we clung to our playthings
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We huddled in burglar-proof houses
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We said that the poor had it coming
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We readied our handguns for trouble
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We tuned in to war every evening
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We watched as the bombs burned the cities
in the time of the tumult of nations.
The name of the game was destruction
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We knew we were once better people
in the time of the tumult of nations.
We pretend we are still the same people
in the time, in the time, in the time,
in the time of the tumult of nations.
*
I had the great pleasure of hearing Samuel Hazo recite this poem from memory at a meeting of a small Catholic writers group in Pittsburgh. I’d heard his name off and on over the years but had never looked at his poetry until he began attending the group earlier this year, and thus I did not know he was a practicing Catholic whose faith informs his poetry. When I heard this poem for the first time I was struck by the way that its simplicity of form masks its rather solemn profundity – I really like the way that they work almost counter to each other.
Mr. Hazo has published over 30 books of poetry, fiction, essays and translations. Most recently CUA Press published his The World within the Word: Maritain and the Poet, a book Hazo originally wrote in 1957 and the only book about Maritain for which Maritain himself wrote a foreword. Hazo turned 90 on July 19th.
–Rob Grano has a degree in religious studies, which he's put to good use working for a medical laboratory for the past 15 years. He's published a number of book and music reviews and occasionally has gotten paid for it. He lives outside of Pittsburgh, Pa
Light On Dark Water 
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