red as in irony

the young man across the street from me hands his girlfriend a large, red box of chocolates
proclaims “happy valentine’s day”
pecks her cheek and hugs her tightly as she squeals in delight.
i cannot help but remember that another young man is experiences these same red hues today
valentine’s day
he is the color red
red
as in fear
as in panic
as in blood.
somewhere up north a young girl pops a candy gram between her parted lips
savoring the taste, as it melts in an odd dance across her tongue
forgetting that somewhere down south a young girl two days her age desperately clings to the
cabinet her back has been pressed up against
praying to God that she may melt and fuse herself to cold metal, that she may become invisible
biting down hard on her tongue to stop the involuntary chatter that she knows will give her away
the clash of hearts and guns fill my screen
smiling faces
kissing their loved ones
the flurry of pink and red is slashed away by
the grief
the pain
of bawling mothers who kissed their loved ones just the same, now knowing they would never
return
of stoic faces of fathers
who refuse to comprehend that their orbit has been demolished
that their sun has been extinguished
i wonder when we became so numb
i wonder when we got used to the sight of our youth in more morgues than in our own homes.
was it the 1st time
the 2nd time
or the
18th?
we are showering candy and slathering hearts across this bloodstained day to smother piercing
gunshots and the hail of many bullets
are we are choosing to turn heads from our 17 brothers and sisters who will never laugh again
never smile again
never
breathe
again?

By Kimberly Lee

A poem from Disarm: A Themed issue Responding to Mass Shootings in America

Biography:

Kimberly Lee is a 17 year old girl from New Jersey. She currently has two poetry books being sold in-stores at Barnes and Nobles, and has been published by Quintessence Magazine in addition to being published by Speak Out Publishing. She is absolutely obsessed with Holland lop and Netherland dwarf bunnies (she has two Holland lops!) and welcomes any and all pictures of bunnies ever.