Headlines

The injustice spelled out in
headlines and hashtags
Twitter feeds and Instagram pics,
Shakes our being in racks of fury
Brings out tears and sobs of pity
Takes hold of our incapable minds
Prying into our comfortable lives
The little boy caked in dust and blood
The young child amidst a garbage flood
Crimes of evil we can’t comprehend
Acts of brutality we can’t recompense
We stare at screens and video footage
A young man with no other choice
A small girl left without a voice
An inventory of indescribable actions
We scream out loud our frustrations
Cry on behalf of bleeding nations
Inside us moves a storm of despair
Laying in our beds immobile we stare
Until our eyes take up their fill
Turning away against our will
Until the screen blurs and we slam it shut
Our attention spent, our reaction cut
No longer do the images remain
Whether or not we are no longer sane
We turn off our emotions, no longer upset
It takes no effort
to forget.