by Sarah M. Prindle
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At Least 10 Killed in Shooting Near L.A. At least 10 others were injured, some of them critically, and the gunman was still at large, the authorities said. The shooting occurred in Monterey Park, Calif., which earlier held festivities on the eve of the Lunar New Year. —The New York Times, January 22, 2023 |
will come crashing down.
There are no tsunami alerts,
we can’t escape to high ground.
The wave could hit any time,
around lunch, in the evening,
on a major holiday.
The wave can strike anywhere,
in a store, in a church,
an elementary school.
What will be left after
the disastrous swell?
Broken families, broken lives,
shattered bones and lethal wounds.
Fearful survivors, frightened neighbors,
bloodstained floors and bullet holes.
We never know when the wave
will come crashing down
and drown us in our apathy.
Sarah M. Prindle received an Associates in English from Northampton Community College. She loves reading everything from historical fiction and memoirs to poetry and mysteries. She hopes to someday publish her own novels and poetry collections and has already had her work published in several literary magazines and websites.