I was inspired to write this by what Jimmy Kimmel said. Feel free to share this poem with any "leader" you think needs to read it.
To Politicians After Uvalde
You’re the monster under their beds now, but you aren’t under their beds—
you come out of their cubbies. You’re hiding under
their blue plastic chairs. You burst out of the closet where the markers hide,
You pop out from behind the lunch line and hurl plastic trays at their heads,
you smear pudding and macaroni in the long hair
of the girls. You have closed the boys’ eyes
so they don’t become you. You blame everyone but yourself.
You blame the kids, cops, teachers, parents, the health
system, the crossing guard with her sign
shouting at you to stop. You blame the school nurse,
the open door, the people who voted against you,
the people who give you money, you blame
other people’s children—as lovely as yours.
The swings they lift in, yarn necklaces flying,
chocolate coins they’ve traded falling out of pockets.
When the candy melts, no one will play this lottery game with you,
except the other monsters, ugly things in your dark room,
rubbing their hands together, eyeing your toys.