1999 Entry (Carnage in Littleton)

Carnage in Littleton

Eric and Dylan are no longer nerds
or subject to daily assaulting with words.
Their guns made a statement to the whole USA
that they won’t put up with being treated this way.

And stupidly blind when we hear fifteen die
we’re stunned and we’re outraged and all shouting, “Why?!”
but it didn’t seem strange when the jocks shoved and teased
we didn’t see horror ’til the school was seized

“Winners” can murder in acceptable ways.
The death isn’t noticed and it takes many days
Through taunting, ignoring, they cut to the soul
while nobody thinks it’s a criminal goal.

Because “losers” are hated by one and by all
as worthless and useless, to shove in the hall.
From teachers and parents who barely can hide
the disdain that they feel for the unwinning side.

We’d better all open our eyes or we’ll find
a whole lot more killings and rage of this kind.
Until we teach kids to constrict their mean spirit
we’ll have to expect this and we’ll have to fear it.

We need to form a society where being kind is the “in” thing.
<P