MATTER

this is for the lives that

would have been,

that could have been,

that should have been--

this is for the ones

that ended on those days.

this is for the smiles,

the bright eyes and the big backpacks.

this is for the kids,

those little ones,

those big ones,

those ones just in between

those ones whose lives were ruined

by the horned people in the streets.

they lived, they thrived

and some person came along

and they died.

but I

I'm here to honor the children

because no matter what those

people, convicts, murderers

try to say,

they mattered.

they MATTER.

because GOD loves them

because I love them

because you love them

because we love them

they MATTER.

NO ONE

can say

"these children don't matter."

NO ONE

can bring a musket to

a place of learning,

and laughter,

and that friendly love,

and say

"these children are worthless,

"these children are terrible,

"these children don't deserve to exist."

because they DO

because a child is a blessing,

because it takes a village to raise a child

because the world needs to step in

because we all need to step in

because we need to take that extra mile

and protect them.

who loves them more,

who loved them more,

who will always love them more

than Jesus?

they mattered.

they MATTER.

and no matter what happens-

if the demon in the hall

or the Devil with his gun

comes back,

and tells them that they deserve to die,

they

still

MATTER.

they will always matter.

***

This was inspired by the Top Story BANG BANG//: Chapter 1) Roll-Call. To be honest, since I'm still in school, this story more than scared me. I was unable to read the rest of it through because of how terrified I was.

I decided to honor every child whose life was lost with this free-verse. I tried to make it rhyme, at least a little bit, but I cannot rhyme. I could only emphasize that one big word: MATTER. Even when those demons tell us that we don't matter, we MATTER. Those children MATTER. They will always, always MATTER.

God bless. I hope this poem reaches many hearts.