Santa Clarita
“Sixteen seconds of terror; just another school shooting in America.”
the news report receives less airtime
than the duration of the shooting itself
//
peaceful, Sunday-morning sunrise
filters through cracks in the blinds
of our patio window, bent fractals of light
illuminated across the terrors of this world
I chose to bring you into, unfolding
on the television in front of me
//
I sip my morning coffee; you enjoy
breakfast from your high chair
//
my helpless eyes watch you closely,
wondering - if there is anything more I can do
as a mother, other than pray your eyes
do not close before mine
//
if they should, I only hope
this world can afford you
more than just sixteen seconds
of recognition for your sacrifices
John Marks
Wed 20th Nov 2019 19:37
I admire this a lot Emilia. The focus pans out to school shootings and zooms back to 'you' in the high chair.You illustrate how the media works to make distant events close and so encourages a wave of paranoia to sweep into private lives. I have lost a child so I understand what you fear.
“La plus belle des ruses du diable est de vous persuader qu'il n'existe pas."
("The devil's finest trick is to persuade you that he does not exist.")”
― Charles Baudelaire