Personal Response:

Steel Feathers

 

bullets flew as birds do

They grazed the clouds, the sun,

my family, my friends-

purposefully wasteful

They always hit a mark

 

the violence in the streets

terror

terrified tears ran swiftly, swiftly

but blood ran faster

 

What I wanted

was the peace we once knew

 flowers on the porch

a sunlight drawing room

to hear chirps and not screams

Yes, I wanted peace

 

but peace does not beget peace

no, passivism and silence

do not intensify the cries of the downtrodden

loud enough that those in powerful places

may hear them

 

and violence begets violence

but from the violence,

perhaps – peace.

 

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