Spoken Word Poem - "IT Stops With Me" - May 30, 2014

The last language arts assignment with my class was a spoken word poem. We had a great day sharing our poems Friday. We got coffee, sat outside in a park and performed them. I was so impressed by my students. I also performed my poem for them. I wrote it Thursday night and have uploaded it to youtube (see below).


IT Stops With Me - By Max Maclay

I read the news today

Oh Boy

Another school shooter, more kids dead

Another nut with guns and hate in his head.

I cry for the kids, their parents and for me

I cry for the nut

who could not

would not

just be happy.

Why? I want to know. How could a man, devise this plan, take guns in his hand, take an evil stand and

BANG?

I want to blame the guns!

Somehow that’s not PC?

Because our Constitution says we all need a little revolution

To avoid a final solution, of governmental pollution

We create our own absolution!

From sea to shining sea.

But that gunsight I look down, might show you

Pointing your scope back at me.

I want to blame his parents

Did they love him as much as mine lived me?

Did they tuck him in tight, patch him up after a fight

Give monsters a fright, use a night light,

They can’t have done it Right!

Because this boy’s a blight

And I’m frightened,

Even though I never met him

And he’s dead too.

Will it happen again?

Probably

Can IT be stopped?

What is IT?

Fear

Grief

Hate

The pain of being helpless

The sorrow of betrayal

The mood after being hit

IT is that feeling.

That dark, empty feeling,

IT hurts so bad anything can fill the void.

And it feels so good to pass it along, to share the pain, make others feel it too.

IT passes from person to person,

Gaining strength, and power and rage

Until it rests on a trigger

IT must be stopped.

A car speeds down the road,

A hulk of metal and rubber and power

There are kids crossing the street to school

And a crossing guard.

S-T-O-P

The car stops.

It’s power and energy and road rage

Idle

I will be a trigger guard

Life will hurt.

Others will throw their hurt towards me

And I will NOT PASS IT ON!

Fear, anxiety and hate

Stop at the trigger guard.

The bad mood, ugly energy, evil mojo

Stopped by the trigger guard.

I will pass on a stupid pun,

A compliment

A fist bump

A smile, A Hug

Joy, Hope, Love

IT stops with me

What if you also said,

IT stops with me?

What if you also said,

IT stops with me?

What if she said it, and he said it, and they said it?

IT stops with me

Then maybe,

Just maybe,

IT WILL STOP!

S-T-O-P

And something else will BEGIN.