England’s longest reigning queen
has fin’ly taken rest.
And, to our friends across the sea:
We wish them all the best.
September
Shining faces. Back to school.
Recess and the Golden Rule.
Laughing voices. Eager eyes.
Dreams that reach the highest skies.
Suddenly
Suddenly, the weather’s changed.
Growth begins to stall.
Flowers wilt and droop their heads.
Suddenly, it’s Fall.
Back to School
Children in their innocence
head off to school and fun.
And, somewhere in our nation,
a shooter cleans his gun.
The Candle
The candle’s flame is steady.
Its fire is clear and true.
It shines its light along the way
to show a path for you.
Tucker
Tucker was a good dog —
filled with energy and grace…
a vibrant active spirit.
Now he leaves an empty space.
Uvalde, Texas
The Uvalde children haunt me.
Little voices. Background hum.
They trusted in the grown-ups.
Why didn’t grown-ups come?
The Shooter
You might want to stick around –
to live for another day.
His right to kill is paramount
to the folks at the NRA.
Oh, well.
Back to School September, 2022
Fresh faced kids head off to school,
ready to learn the Golden Rule.
Eager to grow and have some fun.
Somewhere, a shooter loads his gun.
Oh, well.
Back to School Fall, 2022
Dear Teacher, don’t you understand
that I’m afraid to die?
I can’t think about subjunctive tense
or how to multiply.
I can’t think about world history
or times that came before.
I’m simply terrified I’ll see
a gunman at the door.
