JOHNMICHAEL SIMON POETRY

We’re all still hunting

for a clue

to explain what happened

on a bright day

in Oakland, in Virginia Tech, in Aurora Colorado

 

Bodies strewn around

maimed, dying

others running for cover

screaming, falling

 

While a good looking youngster

from a faultless background

calmly reloads and fires

reloads and fires

 

And as we’re sitting

around in our think tank

newspaper men with pencils

and microphones, policemen

politicians, officials

 

mouthing the same old familiar excuses

 

The door bursts open

and there he is again

three legal firearms

purchased from supermarkets

thousands of rounds

bought on the Internet

loading and firing

 

Not Rambo

not some brain damaged

relic from Iraq, Afghanistan

not even a junkie, homeless

on halidol

 

Just a good looking boy

from a nice family

who watches movies

plays computer games

And hums under his breath

while reloading

 

Something about

the land of the free

and the home of the brave