Last night we gathered, hundreds, for Jo Cox
If you were there, you will have felt the heavy mood of sadness too
Nothing happened. No speeches, no music, no jamboree
Just quiet calm, deep mourning, and the face of Joanne Cox
Big Ben struck his hour cordially, and all our pensive murmurings ceased
In silence, we gazed up, at the spire that sets the nation’s time, and asked
What are we doing in our time?
And on we carried the silence, as the engines revved around our patch of summer grass
But everything was calm, as we remembered her, Jo Cox MP
Slowly I walked to the roadside where her photograph was laid in flowers
Her smile beamed out, with hope and joy and confidence
And it stabbed my heart
What a woman. What a star. We’ve done so well to have Jo Cox
On a propped up piece of board, men and women took up marker pens and wrote their thoughts
About unity, and justice, and love overcoming all
And, as we carried gifts of candles to a spot along the wall
Fellow mourners joined us, lit their wick from others’ flames, and walked into the crowd, with so much dignity
To stand in quiet calm, and try to understand
Why our country’s warring, and finding enemies in girls like Jo
When did we forget that our democracy should win, in every hard debate
That’s what we’ll leave our children
Again, the clock bell struck, and again we stood in muted thought
Our parliament before us, and each other
