#NoPoo Book 1     An ode to Gabriel

In memory of mass shootings that has gripped our society  
As a new day approach  

The sun no longer provides warm to a storm that has set in  
Tears falling heavily as the subconscious of reality will soon begin  
A presence from birth, now gone too soon  
I give you the stars I gave you the moon  
There are tears in silent remembrance today  
Words of comfort I give to you, when I do not know the right words to say  
On my knees as I pray  
Daily grief not to hinder your way  
Keep your faith never to betray  
 
I couldn’t hold your hand as you took your last breath  
As you stood on the throne of life and death  
Such cruel and untimely fate as you’ve met  
Hurt, disbelief, wrapped in a blanket of anger  
From the senseless mentality of a complete stranger  
This poem is so unfair to write  
Retaining my own tears, for such a sickening grotesque sight
While seeing through the eyes of any parent’s pain, their silent mental fight  
Holding onto a smiling picture frame, not wanting to let go with all their might  
 
I feel your heartache, my God it hurts, it makes me so ill  
Destiny knocked at your door with a plan to kill  
Slaughter of the innocent at the expense of someone else’s deranged free will  
No more laughter, no debating, no kisses or great day wishes  
No one to pat on the back when adolescent years have challenged their existence  
You can do this, a parent’s voice once echoed in loving persistence  
As visions of deferred hopes, crushed yesterdays, with no more promises of a future tomorrow  
At this moment in time I could never measure the depth of your sorrow  
 
Spaces once occupied mementos now standing still  
Is this all done under God’s earthly will  
I don’t understand this, so vital, yet so young  
At this time no need to hold my tongue  
Therefore, it’s time to put down those guns  
NRA we have to do better with our liberal gun laws  
Caskets, funerals, obituaries, from such a demoralizing cause  
Tell your excuses to parents who’ve outlived their future generation, tears rolling down cheeks without a pause  
 
Just remember in your PR speech, a precious soul has been taken in the blink of an eye  
Life we live and death we must die  
But not at the hands of evilness, who never had that right to decide  
I cannot hold memories, it cannot talk  
I was the one who held my child’s hand as they learned to walk  
I was the one who wiped their flowing tears  
Now some deranged person, who never cherished his own life, brought me to this, here  
Someone hold me now, in the midst of far away tears  
An untimely death, anyone’s worst fears  
 
I’ve held hands as life has slipped away  
Not for such young genders whose still at play  
Prom and School Dances  
Puppy love romances  
Given so many parental second chances  
The candle has, as known by a parent’s name, has blown out in the wind  
I give you my shoulder, my ear I lend  
Silence greets homes, heard now so very loud  
Beautiful young souls have now floated beyond the clouds  
To God’s arms life has returned  
Leaving an empty space and an unspoken presence to yearn  
 
Sarah McLachlan - In the arms of an Angel