words

did you shop for groceries yesterday
such a simple task
hopeful for the bounty of a new day
still able to hold someone you love close
walking the safe way from your car to the store
unworried, unburdened, unafraid
what words will come now
pushing themselves up
from fathoms of sorrow
to conjure a resurgence of fear
as the faces and minutes of hope are lost
to the clocks of history once again

Dealey Plaza
Ambassador Hotel
Lorraine Motel
Dakota
Murrah Federal Building
World Trade Center

as prayer and disbelief surface the flood of tears
can civility emerge from a head wound
will we listen now to the slurred words
to fix the aberration of the 2nd Amendment
especially as vitriol inflames stunted minds
they load their Glocks to fulfill their own prophecy
to sight innocence in the cross hairs
as these massacres become more commonplace
can some collective epiphany engage us all
how long can we hold our breath
while holding back our tears
how long will we carry these images
just stopping to buy milk and bread
then rushing home to pull down our shades and lock our locks

Barry DeCarli
January 09, 2011
©2011 Barry DeCarli