A Vain Eulogy

Poetry | Mass Shootings

Thoughts and prayers ​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​fade to echoes.

Deepest condolences ​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​stand in the shadows.

Emotionless ease ​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​navigates the shallow.

Hollow indifference ​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​buries the breathless.

Half-staff flags ​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​Fly hopeless solutions to madness.

Pulpiteers’ rote memorials ​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​belch tired phrases of false empathy.

Lives taken by the gunman’s bullets ​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​senseless, tragic, and painful.

Amen!

We see the tears of despair fall from your hearts ​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​we feel your suffering as you search for answers.

Amen!

We realize the memories of your loved ones are singular ​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​and will endure after we leave for the next massacre.

Amen!

Oh yeah,

. . . wehonorthoselost, ​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ wemournincommunionwithyou.

. . . amen . . .

A contract violinist plays Schubert’s Ave Maria ​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​with the same tonal inflections played the last time.

And the time before that ​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​and the time before that.

Perhaps an air of aloe to the souls of the living ​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​yet still the same old song.

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. - Martin Luther King Jr.

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