I am

I was

I will forever be

No mortal end can conquer me

For nothing that has lived can die

An nothing more alive than I

I did not know her,

but I sensed her soul’s fear right before

the twin bullets tore through her body

their nearly synchronous impact a work of modern art

And as she receded,

heard the screams of her classmates

their agony and realization

of a moment to be relived perpetually in waking nightmares

Above her absence,

the cries and never-ending pain of parents

the anguished shout and protest

a funeral with tears, prayers, anger, and unrelenting sorrow

Beyond her grave,

emasculated men wave their arms

a symbol of their identity

haunted by the specter of their insignificance

Across the continent,

lawyers huddle to fashion arguments

the NRA plots the next campaign

politicians offer platitudes, carefully drafting mock legislation