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coolsoundingme
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Katie Shirley died yesterday.
I hadn’t spoken to her in over a decade.
The cars drove up the street.
Coming by spades.
And
Lined the neighborhood. People
Entered. People left. Each one
Crying.
The high school opened its doors.
High summer & post-graduation
The kids filled in.
Crying.
There were five girls.
Five driving. Laughing. Singing.
Looking forward to the future.
Nervous as all hell, but ready.
Happy.
The town bleeds. Each and every
Last person spilling life into the
Street. Every one of us
Dead.
Mr. Shirley paced up and down
His driveway this morning
Head in hands.
His only child will
Never return home. He, only
Crying.
Mom broke down. She could
Not keep it together. All she
Could think – I’m sure – is what
Would it be like if it was one of hers.
Crying.
The town was silent today. The
Shock. The fear. The horrible
Thought.
Katie was never my friend. She’d
Lived across the street. She was
five years behind me, but
Happy.
The town bleeds today. As one.
And though I cannot help but feel
This that every one of us does, the
Only real change that truly occurs
In my life is that Katie Shirley
No longer is.
Katie Shirley was.
Yet, I bleed with her.
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070705
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