Can You Hear Me Now?

By Todd Matson

“My house is on fire,”

said the caller.

“All houses matter,”

said the fire station captain.

“My house is on fire,”

said the caller.

“All houses matter,”

said the captain.

“My house is burning down,”

said the caller.

“All houses matter,”

said the captain.

This is what it feels like

when someone black

says black lives matter

and someone white

answers sanctimoniously,

all lives matter.

 Todd Matson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in North Carolina, United States.  His writings have been published in The Journal of Pastoral Care and Counseling, Feminine Collective, Salvation South, Soul-Lit: A Journal of Spiritual Poetry, The Clayjar Review, Agape Review, Redrosethorns, San Antonio Review, The Brussels Review, The Shallot, WestWard Quarterly, Mobius: The Journal of Social Change, Feed the Holy; Faith, Hope and Fiction; Soul Poetry, Prose & Arts Magazine; Solid Food Press and Heart of Flesh Literary Journal.  He has also written lyrics for songs recorded by several contemporary Christian music artists, including Brent Lamb, Connie Scott and The Gaither Vocal Band.