You can't be invisible
if you're a star;
you can be invisible
if you're a man with a gun.
You can still be innocent
when you're a star;
you can kill like a militant
when you're a man with a gun.
The man with the gun
travelled far,
invisibly, until
he shot the star.
He killed her dead
then he turned the gun
onto himself,
and the thing was done.
Oh we can't make meaning
out of stupidity,
we can't turn insanity
into lucidity.
Goodbye, bright girl,
your star has shone,
your future invisibled
by the man with the gun.
Inspired by the story of singer Christina Grimmie, as told on Day 14 of April Poetry Month at 'imaginary garden with real toads', in conjunction with the prompt, Invisible.
Awww... yeah. He was able to be invisible in order to dim her light... and then to invisible himself. I guess that's the way stories like this go. No justice, no answers (at least that I know of), it's just bleak. But this young woman really was a bright light. I am sad to have discovered her only upon hearing the news of her murder. Thank you for this poem, Rosemary.
ReplyDeleteAnd I discovered her through you. Thank you.
DeleteWell rendered and stark realism.
ReplyDeleteWhen will this madness, ever end?
ReplyDeleteYou first stanza says it all for me. The beautiful star and the hidden murderer. Such a sad story.
ReplyDeleteI checked her info, she looks as radiant as a star. Way too many sad stories like this. Too much madness and pain. A beautiful poem.
ReplyDeleteI don't like the event and deaths and GUNS, but you portrayed the terrible happening so very well. I also wrote of an impending shooting, not nearly so nice a poem as yours. Thank you Rosemary.
ReplyDelete..
This is so poignant, Rosemary
ReplyDeleteChristina was a girl who grew up in my area (South Jersey). It was such a tragedy. Good poem, Rosemary.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bruce; I'm glad you like the poem. This tragic loss must be all the more sad and shocking for you and your neighbours.
DeleteYour poem was echoed in the recent shooting of a school teacher by her husband.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely LOVE the verb you've created here:
ReplyDelete"your future invisibled
by the man with the gun."
Which of course, becomes "invisi-bled."
Wonderful. So so sad.
a fine elegy ~
ReplyDeleteOh, you have captured the senselessness of the whole thing.
ReplyDelete