by Jen Schneider
 |
| Adam Maida / The Atlantic ; Getty |
what (kind of) country / ‘tis of thee
hosts parents on video streams
to plead for safety of schools & children
/ amidst stains & stained solutions / full
to paint / not of
watercolors / of blood
to stay quiet / not to
nap / to survive
to arm teachers / not of
books / with bullets
to dial 911 / not as
to dodge rocks turned rounds
to climbs hills turned mountains
to fight – against & again
for their lives / before men
in suits / in primetime
what (kind of) country / ‘tis of thee
values weapons more than life
counts more guns than people
hosts rallies alongside funerals
for primetime performance
what (kind of) country / ’tis of thee
identifies children by sneaker color
normalizes imbalance / numbers
of mass shootings & days in a year
with guns the leading cause
of death of children / primed
for primetime performance
what (kind of) country / ‘tis of thee
invokes names & images
of emmett till / napalm girl
on primetime to debate / the value of life
scales forever tilted against the innocent
a country stained & forever shamed
my country / ‘tis of thee
/ of thee i weep