Friday, April 07, 2023

DRILL

by Jane Edna Mohler   


  

In the confident glow
of an iPhone, we pass
a silent hour in the school’s
utility room with dead
beetles, frantic
spiders, and the librarian
browsing Pinterest.
 
My back against
a door that won’t lock,
foot braced on the railing
of stairs leading to oblivious 
motors and sweating pipes 
accustomed to the peace 
of working alone.
 
The librarian scrolls fervently. 
Which chicken recipe 
will she choose? Maybe 
Easter themed cupcakes
or a floral wreath crafted
for the family gathering 
if those gunshots we hear are real. 



From National Association of School Psychologists: “After an armed assailant drill: Emotional or physical reactions can be delayed following a highly intense simulation drill.”


Jane Edna Mohler is Bucks County Poet Laureate Emeritus (Pennsylvania). Recent publications include GargoyleRiver Heron Review, and One Art. Her collection Broken Umbrellas was published by Kelsay Books. She is the Poetry Editor of the Schuylkill Valley Journal in Philadelphia.