Senseless
Senseless
Senseless is–
always; young black man killed
in Mississippi.
Never hurt nobody
with that smile.
It stretches, in the pic,
to his eyes, even his hair grins.
One round to the head
all it took,
three guys who also took
his car.
A week before Christmas,
twenty-five feels just
an infant, lost star, hope, son.
**************************
Sorry to be so grim so close to Christmas. An acquaintance of one of my daughters murdered in Mississippi. Graduate student at Ole Miss. Here’s the story. Too too sad.
Odd to write a poem about something so serious and stick to 55 words as I’ve done here–but the exercise, in this case for the G-man, enforces a kind of discipline, which I hope is good to express these sad feelings without excess sentimentality.
Hope to post happier things in the coming days.
Explore posts in the same categories: poetryTags: Friday Flash 55, Lost Star, manicddaily, Ole Miss Graduate Student shot, poem about Zacharias McClendon, sad loss poem
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ManicDDaily 
December 21, 2013 at 5:21 am
this is so senseless indeed…and so terrible for his parents, fam and co students as well.. over here they killed a man in the subway a bit ago cause he wanted to help someone… others just because they’re at the wrong time at the wrong place… or looked at someone in the wrong way…it makes me sick..
December 21, 2013 at 7:11 am
Senseless and heartbreaking.
December 21, 2013 at 8:00 am
Senseless is the only word. Your fitting this into the constraints of 55 words worked to distill the many emotions into a strong and focused personal experience for me. Senseless in the detail of this particular event, senseless in the larger view of a world in which life and goodness can be so tenuously held.
Steve K.
December 21, 2013 at 8:12 am
Yes so sad. One feels almost guilty, manipulative, to write of such sad events. But then you write what you write. Thanks, Steve.
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December 21, 2013 at 8:14 am
Notwithstanding the above, I hope you have an uplifting Holiday Season. See you next year.
December 21, 2013 at 8:16 am
You too. Thanks so much. K.
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December 21, 2013 at 10:00 am
Ugh. It’s odd how words bring these things home to us–I immediately thought of ‘In the midst of life we are in death,’ as if that is the eternal lesson, and not the hard cold hearts of killers, and other violent criminals. You use each word to maximum effect, and the result is a sense of our own fragility–that innocence, goodness must exist for their own sake and are no kind of defense–in fact, I often think they attract the evil-doers. Senseless is the perfect title.
December 22, 2013 at 8:18 am
ugh. scary…and hits a bit close to home as well…a round to the head and they stole his car…a sad world we live in at times….
December 22, 2013 at 10:56 am
This is a great example of what can be accomplished in 55. Your opening lines are especially powerfully in their breaks and punctuation. There is no doubt that senseless murder is one of the saddest things that can happen in our world.
Your accompanying picture is really stunning, karin.
December 23, 2013 at 5:33 pm
Jane– thanks so much and thanks for your thoughtful and wonderful poetry and your sweet support of mine throughout the past year. All much appreciated. k.
December 23, 2013 at 9:07 pm
I admire your tribute to this young man and the tragedy of his murder. He deserves such recognition no matter the season. I’m sorry for his family. Hope your holidays are happy, nonetheless.
December 27, 2013 at 7:48 pm
I think you did right by the young man and the situation. How awful for everyone, K.
December 27, 2013 at 7:51 pm
Wow! I just read the story. Painful.
December 27, 2013 at 8:33 pm
Yes, it’s just so sad. I just can’t imagine how hard it must be for his family. K.