i stand in silence
clenched teeth and closed fist
hoping for an end 
to all this yellow tape and chalk outlines
mothers want children to play outside
once more
but the playground
has become a paintball war
everything hit
dyed red
everything hit red
dies
by the third or fourth incident 
you learn not to cry
but pretending not to feel
has me numb within
i'm not a city girl
and i can't stand the sirens
and i can't stand that a community
when forced to side with a gunman
picks family
because to serve and protect
no longer applies
if you can't buy your safety
or change the colour of your skin
peace is not just a fantasy
but a quality of life worth having
i can't stand the thought
that the power of love
will forever lose
to these random acts of violence
but i can join the wall of
clenched teeth and closed fists
and stand
in
silence.