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POEM: this changes nothing

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Photo (C) New York Times/Associated Press

this changes nothing

you know that, don’t you?
in a few days we’ll go back to our coma
back to our flat-screen televisions
our high-definition getaways
six people? nowhere near enough
at this point, we’d need rivers of blood
flowing past the grocery store
submerging the church pews
to even catch our attention for more
than a 24-hour news cycle
for shock value I could start listing
the daily death tolls
of those without health care
or the number of children who go to bed
hungry or abused each night
right here, in the richest…
but you know the story
or choose not to know it
for less shock value
(because who really cares about them?)
I could tell you how many civilians
were killed today in Iraq or Afghanistan
or Gaza or Pakistan or Yemen
by us or by our allies or with our weapons
but what’s the use?
a new season of your favorite show
will start soon and you’ll plop down
on your couch with some popcorn
or a nice plate of nachos
and go back to sleep
in a few weeks you’ll have to
Google this date to figure out
what this poem is about
and in another few weeks after that
so will I

Published in Audio Poems My poems Poetry Politics & Activism

6 Comments

  1. Howard Kogan Howard Kogan

    Jason–wonderful poem and sadly true, although just a little less true because you wrote this poem. Howard

  2. Jason,
    Strong poem. And sadly true. How many more 9-year old children need to die before anyone is willing to face truth about handguns and automatic weapons. The “Right to bear arms” is to protect yourself and family, not to kill at random or at will.

    Richard

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