bearing witness in poetry

when they say “bear witness”
they really mean that
you do bear it
you are
burdened with knowledge
weighed down by understanding
your shoulders sag under the
load of lived experience
you grit your teeth
but you heft anyway
this is the price
of having seen and
being able to tell
you bear it
you will ache
your muscles will
strain and burn
but you will know
hopefully you will
be able to pass it along
so others needn’t suffer
quite as much witness
as you did