A Poem on the one year anniversary of the Parkland shooting

Bear Arms or Bare Arms

(a poem in response to the one year anniversary

of the Parkland shooting)

Harsh voices will again shout

across aisles of divide

Tears on one side

and a call for

“the right to bear arms”

on the other

But then there will be

empty bare arms yet again

of

weeping parents

and the young who witnessed

yet another

slaughter

of the innocents

“It will not make a difference”

say those who hold

to that

ancient “amendment”

But those who now have

empty bare arms

that can no longer

hold

lost children

say through their tears

and grief,

“But can we at least

make a statement”

It seems our “rights” have

over-reached

our vision to

give up something

so that

we may again gain

some sense

and a heart that can be

broken

rather than a

mind that

can’t be challenged

Bear arms

and bare arms

and voices not

heard

Jody Seymour

February 2019