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In Second's Wasteland
I gaze out the window
and contemplate
how swiftly I could open it,
the routes home, and
people I’d follow and lead.
I alienate the alienated
in case they blame me,
knowing most things
cannot stop them quickly.
I hug the sidelines, yet
scatter my eyes for a badge.
I surround myself with phones
so I can always call home.
I learn my sister’s schedule
in case I must protect her,
and hide my own, in case
I might be followed.
I have declined before,
and today is not the day
to say no; for one might
say it to the wrong person.
If you cannot say yes,
say nothing at all.
Yet
If you do not speak,
you’ll let us all fall.
We are one
in the eye of a gun,
so we put our lives
before Second’s fun.
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This is a very unique piece among my other work, simply because it's a protest. It's one of my easiest to find the meaning of, but that's because I want to make it very readable. This is in response to the amount of school shootings in recent years, and the shocking occurence of them already this year, only a few days into most people's school years. This is an account through the eyes of a high school student and the fear that spawns from the news of these shootings. This is also a critique of the Second Amendment and an expression the desire to alter it, as I firmly believe it makes sense only in a time when firearms were not as advanced as they've become. Hence, the full title of this piece is "In Second's Wasteland." I really hope to inspire readers with this and perhaps help people further understand this battle in the eyes of a student. Vide te mox!