home of the brave

breath

fleeting

breath 

bleeding

who are you to take another’s life

to end one’s breath

to wake up and choose a life so violent, so dark, so unbecoming

why is your breath

so angry

so resentful

so evil

allowed to continue to make breath clouds against the freezing cold [insert State here] air

while he, she, they lie bleeding

lifeless

but full 

of.

life.

left.

you hide behind your masks and your guns while your fragile egos 

terrorize

traumatize

end. lives.

we are numb but unable to look away. left to beg…time and time again, when will it end? it must end. right?

how is it that you all sleep at night?

how many lives must you take

how many children’s homes must you break

how many lies

how many innocent eyes

how many heartbreaking goodbyes

breath

fleeting

breath 

bleeding

breath. still breathing.

through fear and grief we march and we make signs and we sing and we cry and we dance in the street and we hold onto small glimmers of hope until your boat of hate is capsized and more of us are radicalized. 

because this will (one day) be the land of the free and the home of the brave and we will remember their names, all those selfless heroes we couldn’t save.