– said in the third person
The number of Americans
killed annually by
jihadist immigrants 2
armed toddlers 21
lightning 31
lawnmowers 69
falling out of bed 737
total and complete
shutdown why stop
with Muslims
ban babies lightning
lawn mowers beds
send them back to where
they came from
lay down
in the tall grass
no fear of falling
no middle of the night
patter of feet no child
sliding between the sheets
squeezing between you
and the nothingness
you sleep next to
lay down in the tall grass
listen to the thunder
watch lightning’s
absence course
through the clouds
the dark sky
darkening.
from Poetry Northwest 12.2 Winter & Spring 2018More by T.J. Sandella from the library
Copyright © T.J. Sandella
Used with the permission of the author
on behalf of Poetry Northwest.