Remember This: America's Mass Shooting Epidemic

It’s in the news now,
But next week 
It’ll be another.
The last one is forgotten, replaced by the next.
But we carry it in our hearts, it weighs us down.
Another story, after another,
After
Another.
Lately, it feels like they haven’t stopped.
It feels like they never will.
Why haven’t things changed?
Why wasn’t the first one enough 
For change? 
But I guess that’s not enough.
What about those people,
Those children 
Who died at the hands 
Of someone so mentally unstable, so unwell? 
What about them?
Is that not enough for something to change?
I guess not because 
It 
Keeps 
Happening. 
There’s one thing  
In common with each one – 
The weapon of choice. 
It may be small or big, 
But the damage is always bigger, 
The tears greater, 
The loss infinite, 
The sadness enormous. 
This is my plea: 
Please stop this
Because we can do better.
All we need to do is try harder, 
Because once was already too many times. 
 

Penelope

VT

17 years old

More by Penelope

  • Mother to Child

    From the day you were born I loved you unconditionally. 

    I loved you every second, of every minute, of every day. 

    When you were born, I was reborn alongside you. 

     

  • Lake

    Fall

    You are still, but the bright trees around you shake. 

    Colored leaves fall onto your surface.

    The wind howls, but you are calm. 

  • One: A Tale of Love

    I never realized

    There was a big difference between

    Being in love

    And loving someone.

    Not until you came along.

     

    I’ve come up with an idea.

    I call it

    The hole of love.