As I began to reflect over the events of the past two weeks I tried to collect my thoughts into some sort of article, but very quickly my article turned into a poem which often happens when I try writing about things that really upset me. Kids dying and a lack of change is something that really upsets me. It should upset each and everyone of us. I hope the poem below causes you to think and to reflect the way I did when writing it. Let us listen to the call for change and respond to it. We must bring on change.

Call For Change

It must end.

Our children can’t go to school in fear.

Fear that today might be the day

That the US has its next school shooting,

And that it will be there own school.

My heart sank when I heard,

Not only because my little brother is in high school and I’m four hours away from him,

Not only because my cousin goes to school in Broward County,

30 miles from Parkland

But because once again we have failed to protect our students.

We have failed to call for change.

When I was a kid

My worst fear

Was that my school was going to be next.

The next headline.

The next half mast flag.

The next names on a list.

And in Parkland,

My worst fear became a reality.

The lockdown drill

That wasn't a drill.

These students had plans, futures, dreams.

Some were seniors,

Preparing for college.

Some were freshman,

Experiencing the "big kid world",

But that shouldn't include gun safety

Or seeing their classmate's blood spilled.

But what I really don’t understand is how

Our stupid, stubborn selves sit back and

Can listen to kids across our nation pled and beg for change

As if their lives depend on it

Oh wait,

Sometimes they do.

These kids are smart.

The statements I have read are heartbreakingly articulate.

Don't say they don't know what they are talking about

Because I think they know better than anyone.

They are the ones being directly affected by our actions.

Or lack thereof.

Why do we think this is acceptable

To ignore what is going on before our very eyes.

As adults we must protect our children,

With our words

And with our votes.

Reading of these events makes my stomach churn,

Blood boil,

Eyes water.

We are obviously doing something wrong.

We need to exhaust our resources,

Take a stand,

Get our voice heard,

And never tire until we get the change we deserve,

That our children deserve.

We at least owe that to Parkland

And Marysville

And Sandy Hook

And Columbine

And to every single student that has ever feared a school shooting.

This should not be a normal occurrence.

This must end.

There needs to be change.