it becomes a shorthand
a savage synecdoche
for which we have no synonyms
except blood nightmare shred death
and sinews of sadness singing
an aria without words or melody
a broken record
Columbine Cleveland Chardon
Red Lake Nickel Mines (Amish)
they become a shorthand
these slaughters that stream
one into the other flooding
our jaded memories
Sandy Hook Parkland
Santa Fe (Texas) Oxford (Township)
Uvalde (now) (this) (again) (AR-15) (again) (kids) (children) (innocents) (once) (again) (thoughts and prayers) (makeshift memorials) (flowers flowers flowers) (teddy bears) (magazines) (again) (clips) (bullets) (this) (now again)
[silence]
sobs cries wails sobs screams cries sobs
[silence]
. . . and then the inevitable onslaught of cliches promises jingoism flag-waving theories speculations loner angry boy boy boy male man young troubled loner rage pent-up why why why NRA July 4 lobbyists money money money marketing male rage against the what the who my rights my rights my rights protect me from me the land of the free
except for the cost
the incalculable cost
[silence]
[ ]
[ . . . ]
Memorial Day
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