For Those Who Lost

Don't Brush Them Away

For Those Who Lost

Dear all five of you

Four students, one teacher,

One year and one school.

I have not forgotten you.

There was a time

I thought I was next,

Another number,

Another loss.

Another short email,

Another taboo subject.

Gone, grieved, forgotten;

Not discussed

Until another came along

To raise the subject once again

That something here is wrong.

With every death,

The response was less.

This was our new normal

And it wasn't spoken of;

Was not addressed.

Maybe if we'd done something more

Hadn't brushed it away,

Hadn't hit ignore like

A morning alarm that will go away

If we put it off enough,

Maybe you wouldn't have fixed

This horrible temporary problem

With such a permanent solution.

Maybe you would have seen

That people cared,

We had help to give you.

Your story didn't need to end,

Your battles didn't need to be lost.

I have stood where you stood,

Thought what you thought,

But my battles were fought;

Slowly, painfully, hatefully,

But I won.

And I wish you were here

To see how much it sucks

Without you.

But most of all I wish

We had done more

To keep your memory

From fading.

I wish we had done

Everything we could

To learn from you,

But they wouldn't allow it.

You became taboo.

So I want to make sure

You hear me say:

To those who lost,

I remember you.