Thinking in the Dark

It’s two the morning just after
another armed man went to school
and the streetlamp illuminates
a street at rest in America
while another day’s news

has been read and we’re ready
for the next time
another mental health problem
leaves ten people dead. The arguments
are resting now
over tradition and rights

and who should be denied a gun.
They’ll start up again in daylight
when nobody can know

who next will open fire
having been declared sane
upon purchasing a weapon
and crazy after using it.

David Chorlton lives in Phoenix and enjoys a view of the desert mountain that occupies its space surrounded by the city. He has had an unusual year in which watching the local wildlife has been a help in his recovery. Read other articles by David.