On the day we got the news
Of yet another shooting—
This one not too far from home—
I went for a walk at dusk
To ask God and the trees, “Why?”
The half moon peered through clouds
Strung behind a line of storms,
As fireflies synchronized
With streetlights at 9:03;
Embers in the post-rain mist.
A bat dived to swallow one,
Turning away at the last
From a bitter, poison pill.
But all the hosts of summer
Assembled here this evening
Know the steps and move as one;
Birds sing, cicadas back beat,
And the waning day cools air
Just enough to invite small
Restoration to tired lungs.
The world in all its glory
Even here on suburban streets
Speaks of dependence, rhythm,
And attention to detail.
But my country still looks down,
Away from what doesn’t fit,
Turning the dead into pawns
Moving without agency
In a dance that keeps peace
At the expense of the living.
Hardscrabble 