Stolen Futures Poem by Gary Bernard

A teenager went to school on Monday morning like any other day. A fellow student with a gun shattered their world in a terror-filled minute.

The "left" offered prayers through tear-stained words. The "right" demanded more guns, louder than cries. The "middle" continues to endure the silence, defending their children while the two sides defend their chosen ideology.

Can a society that tolerates this kind of horror long endure? All children should have the chance to grow old, their dreams should blossom, not wither in silence, while immutable words from an ancient piece of parchment are held as sacrosanct dogma.

The laughter of the victims echoes in hearts known and unknown, for the futures that were stolen. And here we stand, in silent mourning, waiting for the next tragedy, while parents plead for courage and action from lawmakers. For years, they have cried out, with little, if any, action in return.