Thursday, December 27, 2012

Untitled. Poem About "My Place" & the Newtown Shootings.

The day before the Newtown shooting, I wanted to write a poem about my favorite place to escape to when life was getting away from me, or just to be alone, or whatever. I was also listening to my favorite band play a concert in NY over SiriusXM radio. And well, it's kind of hard to write a poem about a calm place when you're listening to a live punk rock concert. I thought I would write it the next day. And well, obviously, I didn't. I was itching to write it today, for whatever reason. It's set the day of the shooting but all else is very, very real and accurate.











Yesterday I listened to my favorite band
sing “All I Want For Christmas Is An AK-47.”
Today I watched in horror as 20 children
were gunned down with an assault rifle.

I read an article last week that stated,
“Atheists don’t deal well with death.”
I threw up in the in the shower today.
I guess crying and puking in the shower
is an okay way to deal with death.

I wanted to write about
my favorite get-away place yesterday.
Today I just want to be there.

It’s at its best in winter.
Then it’s quite, unless you count
the wind running through the trees;
I don’t, I like that sound.
Down a hill along a gravel road,
a little walkway across the water
to a wooden dock. I can sit
out there for hours.
Just me.
I can look out on the lake, and only see a
fisherman or two. No one
to deal with or worry about.
Calm, things make more sense.

I wish I was there today.

I wish I could make sense of today.

7 comments:

  1. This feels very real and in the moment. Great writing.

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  2. compassion is a hard thing yet... the heart of a good poet... the healing will come... it always does

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  3. Well said, and very real. Sense will not be made of things that make no sense. Focusing on what is good will not eliminate evil, but can dull its effect and pain. Good will triumph in the end.

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