Listen

Television

On
the channel five news I see the carnage

Of
a wreck, can’t believe it, I’m only a girl

And
the words used to describe it feel lacking in contempt and fear, when
I am full of it; it’s a

Warzone

But
not the one that litters textbooks and history classrooms

Spilling
tales of glory and sacrifice across the curling page

“Warzone”
because thousands are gone, their lives

Interrupted
by the importance of their phone, their meal,

Their
music, their lack of awareness.

We
don’t see the road ahead, we don’t see the road behind us

We
are stagnant, as our friends and neighbors fall

Laying
claim to the need for better education

Making
a silent case for change, for thought and care

Through
the trees of time their warnings whistle, unheard, until:

Phone
Call

From
a mother in the dark, by the bed of her husband

And
I hear the scratching of the words against the ear

Of
my friend who is right beside me, listening

To
the explanations pour out of the place where her father once lived

But
he doesn’t come home again. Listen:

Wailing

I
am crying out in shock and clutching my knees, and get out

Of
the car to see the damage, and the railing has fishtailed the bumper

It’s
sewn up against itself, peeling and steaming

And
the tailgater slows but then passes us, and my best friend

Is
breathing sharply, calling for help on a phone without service

Looking
down at the cavernous abyss below, made far from us only

By
this tiny little railing. And I don’t want to drive in that car
with my friend anymore. Listen:

Moving

By
that house to the left of mine, I try not to look into the windows

Of
the rooms where my old neighbor used to live before

His
bike ride was cut short, a car came out of nowhere

Made
him a memory to his family and friends

They
never found the culprit, I think, but we know who did it

Not
a person, no– a decision. A decision to forsake safety

For
fun. To forfeit awareness. A lack of education. Listen:

Changing

In
the memory of atrocity lives the will to change, growing

Like
a seed out of asphalt, complacent but gaining its strength

Reminding
itself of what it has been through, what it has suffered–

We
must make our suffering meaningful, turn these moments

Into
change.

Take
the machine seriously, take ourselves seriously. Listen:

Thinking

Through
the steps to protecting a life before you buckle your seatbelt

Imagining
that you are a superhero, a creature of awesome power

Disabling
distractions

Putting
away food and drink

Being
sober

Reviewing
laws and regulations

Learning,
relearning, and learning again

Being
serious about the power you wield

These
are the steps toward life, toward a resounding “yes”

Which
keeps a person alive

Which
keeps the streets safe

Which
keep your heart from withering, or breaking at the sight of what you
have done.