The Trees are Burning ~ re discussion of Cumbria Killings

[billy]

The day before the Fort Hood
Shootings
I came down my drive
Towards the mountain,
And the forest was burning!
It frightened me,
The fire was violent,
was it an omen?

12 dead 31 injured
while the minutes ticked away
and we read the news of the day
one injured became the dead.

13 dead and 30 injured,
the paper read
after we slept.

Does anyone else feel outrage?
And she was pregnant…
That makes an innocent baby
One of the lost.
(And they didn't count the baby
in the total on the headlines)
Why is that?!!!!
I'm so angry, I cannot cry.

My mind screamed,
why couldn't someone stop him!
If not the soldiers, why not the janitor?
Someone, anyone!

The trees are burning.
I could see the patch of woods
Like it was only 100 feet away,
Burning hot, torching a path.

I knew it was maybe 10 miles
Or more in distance.
But it seared close in my eyes.
Screaming danger!
Screaming –this is wrong!


I wanted to run like Paul Revere
Through the neighborhood
And warn the town,
To beg for help,
To ask someone
Anyone,
to let me put
The fire out.

But I knew
No one would care.
It's just loggers
Or the Forestry Dept.
Doing controlled burning -
My friend said.

So the trees were a bad omen
for the innocent lives taken…
They had their candle-light vigil.
In remembrance of the young
soldiers that died.
People stood around and some cried.
Texas was affected,
while maybe the rest of the U.S. didn't care.
We still got our Latte's.
Had our comforts, our little lives.

I think there must be a better way.
God surely is grieving,
So what if He had His way…
When the one you love dies.
The next day:
the sun should NOT rise,
the birds should NOT sing,
the church bells should NOT ring,
the sky should NOT be blue,
NO one should be saying any I LOVE YOU'S.

The world should NOT go on.
NO one should sing any songs.
The person who lost their beloved,
Should be able to stand and scream
They should be allowed to wail and weep
For days and days without any sleep.
Time should stand still until they are done.
And we should support that hurting one.
When they breathe again,
And feel better at last.
Then the mad mad world
can move on, just as fast.

©11/9/09

oooh a long one

first off we obviously have two distinct poems at play, and that fine, good and sometimes make read all the more special

i did read the to a fro between you and addy which i shouldn't really cos i hate clouding my judgment lol.

for me it has one great or at least very good poem inside it.
i really (and it's just my opinion) think it's needs a fairly heavy prune in order to make the juxtaposition of the fire and the shootings stand out.

after i few reads i really think it has a lot going for it.
believe it or not i found this to be the most important verse;

But I knew
No one would care.
It's just loggers
Or the Forestry Dept.
Doing controlled burning -
My friend said.

it grounds the poem, brings ban some stability to the craziness.

too much that i like to mention one part though i think thanks for the read as always Bianca