Tread softly on sacred ground
By Nancy Langman
Tread Softly on sacred ground
Tread softly on this war-torn land
Many lay beneath your feet
All the things they loved are gone
So many died in retreat
Tread softly as your tears release
Your losses beyond all measure
Feelings raw and so profound
Loss of every treasure
Tread softly on your tender soles
Shoes long lost in fast retreat
Wet and cold and so exhausted
Miles to go before you eat
Tread softly as you head to freedom
Bombs blasting in the distance
Hold tightly to your children’s hands
Whisper prays for a safe existence
Nancy Langman is a nurse practitioner with a specialty in psychiatry, public health and dementia care. After nearly a decade as a seasonal Islander, she moved to the Vineyard full-time in 2011 and now lives in Vineyard Haven with her husband and two cats. Poetry is one of her many passions and hobbies.
Poets with a connection to Martha’s Vineyard are encouraged to submit poems to Poet’s Corner curator Laura Roosevelt at ldroosevelt@gmail.com.
