Wendy on Writing

Denver, Colorado, 2019

Another shooting —
Something’s wrong.
Another town is
“[Somewhere] Strong.”

As students become
First Responders,
Parents rush in and
Each one wonders
“Was it mine?”

Some parents will grieve a lost daughter or son.
Others will grieve
Because theirs was the one.

Loud voices will now enter the fray,
Yelling “Gun control!” and “RKBA!”:
Another debate without a solution.

As the country grieves even more lives taken,
Another school mascot
Becomes “[Something] Nation.”

Wendy Hart Beckman
Virginia Tech, class of 1980
A sad member of Hokie Nation
Written May 8, 2019