Shadows and silence
Fear and division shouted by tyrants
Bang, bang, and sirens
Shadows and silence
The Colt AR-15 fires
Light funeral pyres
Smoke and embers
We remember
Shadows and silence
Do you see me?
To you, I am
A number
A label
Do you see me?
I am
A lover
A sister
A brother
A cousin
A son
A daughter
A colleague
A stranger
Do you see me?
Shadows and silence
Or is my name on a list that will be misplaced
Without a trace
The outsider knocks on your door
Do you hear?
The pain and the tears
Shadows and silence
By Shannon McKemie, M.A.