Attack at Orlando Gay Club Kills About 20
Another shooting, another newscast
soft somber tones, furrowed serious brows
explaining the questions, looking at the camera.
Go to live. Begin news cycle. Begin:
Cue the dark street scene, many lights,
people running,hugging, wet faces, clutching for air
terrorist? insane? were there more?
the motive yet unknown. Twenty plus
one more only a few can care about now.
If only, we think, someone had known yesterday.
Why didn’t anyone do something yesterday?
Tonight official statements, things we can’t comprehend.
Tomorrow spontaneous flowers and memorials.
All week heart-felt tributes, funerals,
fading questions and a return to everything else
your regularly scheduled programming.
As I was writing this news broke that the number killed had risen to fifty and the name of the man responsible was released. The story is still developing.
Our country is in trouble. Pray for some way to bring
people together. Love your neighbor.
And yet again. You’re so right about the predictable pattern, all too familiar, the swell of coverage, the emotional responses, and then the return to “regular”. Terror. Horror. Sameness after. You capture it with your words, thoughtfully.