The Emptiness of Hollow Men
Janelle Curlin-Taylor
August 21, 2022
I feel a great emptiness
Listening to accounts of a recent
School shooting.
A whole town trusting in guns
Not in love
Not in a Higher Power
Not in common sense
Not in safety protocols
Just guns.
Nineteen children, two teachers dead
One grandmother's face
Blown off
Nineteen trained men
Armed to the teeth
Kevlar vests, macho mottos
Standing outside with faith
In their beloved guns
Inside, little children
Bleed and die.
Faith without works is death.
Janelle Curlin-Taylor is descended from several generations of Texas poets. Her poetry has appeared in the di-verse-city Anthology, Blue Hole, Best Austin Poetry 2018 - 2019, Waco WordFest Anthology 2020, Texas Poetry Calendar 2021, Texas Poetry Assignments, the forthcoming Lone Star Poetry anthology from Texas Poetry Assignment, and Voices de la Luna. She is married to California poet Jeffrey Taylor.
