To Write Love on Her Arms

icy tears sink into the folds of scarred flesh
scars buried deeper than just skin-soul deep

tangled memories smell of exploding gunshots
twisted smiles fueled by unforseen anger


daily nightmares- walking down the halls again
retracing steps that once ended in dying
and bleeding out on lineleum floors.


blue ballpoint pen creates dots on beige skin
ink bleeding into freckles- splotchy release
the way her other wounds won't

Bubbly letters write 'love' on her charm braceleted
wrist, on her manicured palm, her splotchy arm

fighting hazy terror looming in her eyelids at the close
of an eye- lumbering figures with non toy guns

taking a stand for those backpacks are stolen,
slammed against walls- new victims-
potentially capable of what happened that day

refusing to contribute to a second tragedy
that had shattered her ink stained soul
into shards of fragmented dreams-
transforming into unseen pain, and terror.

Writing love - graffiting the promise, the hope
on black lined notebooks, white boards in
green marker- her body, her heart.

unleashing a new wave of tolerance- of
accepting that some memories never fade
ones echoing gunshots- and-guttoral curses
ingrained in self esteem
becoming the face of a new trend-
writing,speaking, becoming- love