We Have
Said the Words (1995)Written for my three-year-old
daughter Emily during her chemotherapy protocol for Wilms' Tumor
We have said the words in our
heads
Ten thousand times before
At October we reach and exceed
our grasp
Today the finish line
Our horse was not the favorite
A secret circle kept alive
her name
Placing bets despite the odds
All winnings go to charity
We will not lose our Emily
disciples
Past October they will not
rest
The churches we create are
hymns among us
Playing without fear—we sing
the second verse
*****
The Poetry of Vonne Barnett
