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Thoughts and Prayers (poem)

 

vegas-shooting-3-2000

(Photo: People magazine)

 

shattered bodies
shattered lives
corpses among the debris
58 dead and 500 wounded
yet we see only
what we desire to see
 
He had to have a reason
gimme something to cling to
this free fall moment
is an act of treason
against well built walls in my mind
designed to keep me safe
 
was he a Muslim,
was he a Christian
was he insane and on a mission
from some far flung God
angry at the city of gold
 
was he sad, was he mad
was he working with half a deck
when he murdered concert goers
shooting fish in a barrel
and injured by the scores?
 
Does it matter? Really?
Does it ever fucking matter?
what the motivations really were
because x continues to equal death
regardless of how the equation is built
 
And here we are
another day that ends in ‘Why?”
struggling to understand
demand and reprimand
while no actions are taken
thoughts and prayers appear aplenty
 
how many dead
does this make now
how many maimed and injured?
what’s the count, now
how many have we hurt
as we gather together once again
because your thoughts and prayers
didn’t work?