Friday, May 30, 2014

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.


1 comment:

  1. Beautifully written and presented. I'm happy you wrote about this topic, ever on my mind about what I can do to make change. I imagine your students loved it too, what a model for them, Max! Have a great weekend!

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