Never Forgotten 

Published on by Tosha Michelle


I thought of you 15 years old
and your parents who weep
for their son who’s life ended
much too soon, another
fragrant willow clipped
with the blunt shears of
a world gone mad.

Another life taken by a mass
shooter who name I refuse to
recall.

I thought of the life you
should be living,
all the milestones you’ll
miss, a future that should
be fully in bloom.

I mourn for the
shadows of other
children senselessly 
gunned down
Faded blossoms
and the fullest summers
that might have been.

I pondered how anyone can
be indifferent
to a wind that continues to
shutter and lash out.
Endangering elms and
our humanity.

I long for a day where
the headlines aren’t
filled with grieving families
and discourse that solves
nothing, but perpetuates hate
Whiplashing our brains
with fear and despair.

You won’t be forgotten.
precious child.
You didn’t deserve
such a hellish fate,
nor will I forget the ones
who inevitably will come
after you if we don’t
start acknowledging the
thunderthrottled air.

Rest in peace. I hope
you’re in a place where
the monochrome scales
of this world have gone
a serene blue.
A place where the weather
never conspires against you
and your soul is a lexicon
of green serenity.

-Tosha Michelle

37 thoughts on “Never Forgotten ”

  1. A beautiful poem (tragically) fitting for the times we live in, So many lives wiped out for no reason. As you say how can people be indfiferent to what is happening all around us. In guess it is okay when it is someone else’s child or loved one.

    You are such a wonderful and inspiring poet, you added poignant beauty to one of the ugly realities of our world. I will always be in awe of you.
    xoxoxoxo

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    1. Thanks my lovely friend. Your feedback ialways means a lot to me. I can’t understand how we never learn. How many more lives have to be lost? It’s especially heartbreaking when children are the victims. No place is safe anymore. It’s scary.

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      1. No. No place is safe. Once the sancitity of no violence in schools was broken it changed the world forever. It used to be we dropped off our child at school and we knew they were safe.
        No longer true.
        Maybe if politicans were forced to send their children to public schools things would change. That is a discussion for another day.

        Wishing you and yours all the best.
        This post was inspiring

        Liked by 3 people

  3. I always feel helpless when I hear these tragic tales of kids never coming home from school again. Bus crashes, shootings, even violence between students getting out of hand. It’s all such a mess. And for some reason, hardly anyone is talking about it. Thank you for this piece, love.

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  5. This is beautiful, and unfortunately, so timely for me. I live in Thousand Oaks, CA, the place of the latest mass shooting. My friend just posted an obituary on Facebook for her friend’s son, who was killed. So senseless and horrific. Twelve people (mostly college-aged) gone much too soon. Thank you for this post! Jenny xx

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