For a Senior Killed on Prom Night, by Gail White

[elenbarathi.livejournal.com]

For a Senior Killed on Prom Night

It's useless to pretend you would have been
a genius. I taught you and I know.
You made the team, but others made it win.
A ready smile made up for being slow.

You'd have been ordinary in the end:
the hardest worker someone ever had,
one woman's husband and one man's best friend,
recipient of cards for "world's best dad."

So why, where you'd have been, is there a blank
so huge, a hole where all thoughts go to die?
The world has only lost one of its rank
and file. You didn't even make me cry.

Why do I go outside at one a.m.
and search the stars as though I'd numbered them?

by Gail White

Comments

[two-grey-rooms.livejournal.com]

i. wow. that was unexpectedly powerful.

[mijeli.livejournal.com]

This is brilliant. Thank you!

[skonen-blades.livejournal.com]

Wow. What an amazing poem. Beautiful.

[mary-br.livejournal.com]

Very beautiful, and touching. Thanks.

[heartequals.livejournal.com]

God, that is gorgeous.

[scribbled-mess.livejournal.com]

wonderful poem. Explains the feelings of grief so perfectly.

[sugar-addicto.livejournal.com]

This was so touching and heartfelt. The thing about it is how it abruptly changed tone at the last two lines. The suddenness of that emotion of grief hit me like a wall and all I wanted to do was cry.