Five Minutes Ago

Newtown, CT shooting through the eyes of a student.

Five minutes ago, I was drawing flowers on the lines

I was supposed to be writing my name

First and last

Crisp and clean

Pencil not pen

Five minutes ago, I was daydreaming about recess

Monkey bars and kickball

Animal crackers

And that one boy that liked to tease me

But I never really minded

What is that crack in the air?

Is it a gunshot?

I’ve never heard one in real life

But that’s what video games sound like

That’s what it sounds like in the movies

There’s a bruise on my arm

The teacher grabbed me too fast

I have to keep quiet

I have to keep still

I have to stay in this closet

The principal on the speaker

Those words don’t make sense

Someone is screaming

Someone is crying

Someone needs help

It’s so crowded in here

And we’re all so scared

But I don’t really understand what’s happening

No one does

But we understand enough to know that we’re supposed to be scared

Where is my teacher?

I can’t see her

I can’t hear her

Someone opens the classroom door

A man asks a question

My teacher answers

“They’re not here”

But we are.

We all are.

That is a gunshot after all

But the classroom door closes

No one opens the closet

No one talks

No one even cries

We just stay here packed together

Five minutes ago, I’d never heard a real live gunshot

Five minutes ago, I’d never seen a dead person

Five minutes ago, I was a child

Dreaming of merry-go-rounds and Christmas

But not anymore.

Reviews

[jdr / Jennifer]

Excellent poem. It brought tears to my eyes.

[Molly Garnet]

Thank you so much, it's an emotional time for everyone.

[jdr / Jennifer]

Your poem was a wonderful tribute

[Molly Garnet]

Thank you

[Phillitup]

This event was such a tragedy... thank you for truly bringing to life the innocence of the dead...all those little children.

[Molly Garnet]

Thank you so much for the review, the tragedy is heart breaking.