A poor response to terror— again,

to children slaughtered in their classroom—

And again, will we learn anything this time?

The politicians and news pundits

gossip and chitter like crickets;

and nothing, again, nothing is done.

Here, a few hours distance to Uvalde,

Black-eyed Susans and Horse Mint dance

to the wind, as if nothing changes.

Each time (so strangely common) I think

of my students and the possible horror—

and pray (in my way) for redemption.

Tomorrow, my students will graduate,

and head off to college— with the hope,

again, that they will change this world.

(May 30, 2022)