For the Children of Sandy Hook

I live in a great, wide open land

At the other end of the earth,

But the TV News and the Devil’s views

Are beamed to my own home hearth,

And often I think to turn my head

As the joy of life’s undone,

Back in that great democracy

At the point of a loaded gun.

 

We learnt our lesson and banned all weapons

When we took time to choose,

After a madman ran amok,

So why don’t you do it too?

For now the parents are bent in grief

For their lost young daughters and sons,

I couldn’t do anything else but weep,

Please God, get rid of the guns!

 

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[Van]

hah... I really doubt that the world can get rid of all its firearms now that they've become so entrenched in human society... still, one can hope. The children deserve a better world.

On a different note:
As always, I love the way your rhymes flow. Thank you for sharing this piece! :)

[Fréyjä Helv..]

It truly was tragic and unexpected that something like that could happen in a school. No one feels safe now learning all possibilities of danger could happen anytime anywhere. I felt the sorrow of the people affected by the unfortunate event. I wished they get rid of the guns...

[Deborah Leah Krempa]

Such a senseless tragedy today emerged as I watched the news on tv , it breaks my heart.

[Ban Heo]

i like your choice to make it "get rid of the guns!" instead of "get rid of guns." I feel like that would make it feel like too much of an echo of the end of the 1st stanza. Nice to see people writing on this issue.

[Katie Lynn]

I never saw the news story, I only heard about the event from several customers while I was at work. Needless to say, it left me breathless and at a loss. Your poem does the same. Great job on this dedication, it was painfully beautiful. Though I am not a mother myself, I can barely imagine the grief and sorrow of the families affected by this horrible tragedy.

[David Scott]

I can barely stand to consider the pain these families are going thru. I am glad you feel the urgency to respond, but I'm just not sure that us the cure for this country... It would be nice but probably in vain...
Anyhow. Just horrible what happened.

[quinfinn]

i wanted to write a piece for the days events but was at a loss for words which would be of solace or impact. you have made our case nicely herein, in eloqent fashion. bravo sir!

[Valentine]

This was a heart renching story on television here all day..I pray for all of these families..next they have to identify their little ones that died..how a person could do this or shoot their own mother..I will neveer understand..Banning guns will not stop itd..they bring them in from Canada and Mexico all of the time..God help us all..Thanks for this one david..we all need to pray for these poor families..love Kathie

[jacob erin-cilberto]

another really moving poem about this tragedy.

this struck my heart...i am so saddened by these pointless tragedies...there is no rhyme or reason to it.

thanks for this.

jacob

[Mary]

get rid of guns, of hate, let peace begin within. We live in a very very violent society. I'm too distraught to think straight.

[kimmy]

Oh Dave thank you so much for sharing this with everyone, what happened today was the saddest I have ever heard in my life. I do not understand how people can kill anyone but when it comes to a child. How can you look at a baby and kill him or her? that makes no sense and this world just seems to keep getting darker and darker. My heart is broke over this news today and I did cry; thinking of them families pain and thinking of my children at the same time. I was going to write about this myself, I am so glad you wrote this.