When Leadership Fails

Tam High Vigil for Parkland School Shooting. Photo by Fabrice Florin.

I wrote this poem in the days following the Valentine's Day 2018 mass shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. For years, we have been losing children of all ages to gun violence - both in schools and on the streets. I don't pretend to have any answers, but watching the coverage of the tragedy broke my heart and I had to get my feelings out in some constructive manner. I didn't tinker much with this one, just let it flow went back and edited it once, then left it alone. Sadly, school and other mass shootings have not let up since 2018.

When Leadership Fails

“Do something!”

Mom yells at leaders through TV cameras

After making funeral plans for her daughter.

Dad sent his 14-year-old girl to school

Feels he didn’t do his job to protect her

“I don’t remember if I said, “I love you this morning.'”

Twin girls, freshmen, in shock

One in tears, the other trying to be stoic

One says she can’t sleep or shower alone.

Young man, brave, eloquent

Very calm, under the circumstances

“We are the children, you are the adults,” he says.

Once again, innocent children are dead.

They go to school to learn

Do they wonder every day if they will come home?

Parents do their jobs

Sending kids out into the world to get an education

Many now fear for them in what should be a safe place.

Yet, our leaders continue like this is normal

Thoughts and prayers

“What can we do?” they ask, with shrugged shoulders.

People offer advice to these children:

“You don’t want to die cowering, die fighting.”

“Throw a chair, books, anything you can at the shooter.”

No one will make tough decisions

Too much money lining their pockets

It is always “too soon to discuss it.”

I think this time is different

Students are speaking up

Taking on our government’s inaction.

If there is to be a stop to this carnage

It will be because these children and other survivors

Will vote and act to make changes.

This is not normal.

And they refuse

To make it the new normal.