IN REMEMBRANCE OF SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY

D.L. McHale asked me to help write the following poem. I was honored and proud to do this project with someone so talented. I had avoided all news of this tragedy until now and I do have to admit this was the hardest poem I have ever helped write. I really did very little in the format of this poem and I am eternally grateful for this experience. I asked my daughter to draw a picture of Heaven and this is what she came up with.

Drawn by the talented HastyKid

Written by D.L.McHale and HastyWords

“Friday, December 14, 2012 – on this chilled and inhumane date, the gates of Heaven were flung wide open as God embraced the 1st grade class of Sandy Hook Elementary School.”

The sun arose this winter day –
In Sandy Hook the children played.
Halls echoing with carefree glee,
As children’s days were meant to be
Each parent dreams of such a vision –
‘Til life injects its cruel revision.

Yet, like a child’s lost innocence,
Cherished and held in reverence –
In just one moment swept away
No sympathy for child’s play.
Into their lives a darkness came;
Into our own, an infinite pain.

Screams of fear filled empty spaces –
A blur of frightened, tortured faces!
Malevolence came and stole their futures,
Wounds too big for mending sutures.
We heard the sounds of angels cry –
The day we watched our children die.

We swallow hard; prayed harder still –
Our heartbeats faltered against our will.
The deafening blast of pure insanity
As evil tore the fabric of our humanity!
A nation mourns with silent tongue
The senseless death of these so young.

Six teachers did their very best –
Each offered up their loving breast
To shield from bullets savage blow,
To buy these young ones time to grow.
Each died for love, lest we forget…
Upon their memory, no sun will set.

Such sorrow confines us to hatred’s prison,
Continually torments us with ungodly visions!
Of children lost and taken away
When the sun arose that winter day.
We are lost within an anguished grief,
As even celestial angels weep.

Impeccant cherubs laid to rest;
God took from us our very best.
The loss we feel is real and deep,
The pain forever ours to keep.
No answers to the question, “Why?”
Our babies were not born to die.

So, brush away our tortured tears;
This truth is too demanding,
And whisper in my silent ears
Some prayer of understanding.
Twenty-six stars now shine above,
Eternal bright and beaming love.

18 thoughts on “IN REMEMBRANCE OF SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY”

Polysyllabic Profundities says:

February 6, 2013 at 9:22 pm

What a beautiful tribute. I watched the Sandy Hook choir sing at the Superbowl and cried again for the loss of those precious little lives. These words brought back all of that emotion.

LikeLike

Kitt Crescendo says:

February 6, 2013 at 9:28 pm

I guess they’ve been on a few of our hearts… Lovely.

LikeLike

jenlefeverwood says:

February 6, 2013 at 9:55 pm

This. Is. Beautiful.
My dad & I watched this tragedy on the news and I cried and watched my dad fall apart at the seems. He looked at me and said , “oh my God, those poor families… what’s to come to them with the grief, missing their children… this we know Jen, don’t we?”

We do know. I do know. So much pain when someone is taken in one second like that. God bless them.

This is beautiful Hasty. Every single word.
XO~ Jen.

LikeLike

Nicole Marie says:

February 7, 2013 at 5:10 am

This is SO touching, lady. Absolutely beautiful. The way the words flow is very Poe-ish.

LikeLike

- hastywords says:
  
  February 7, 2013 at 5:12 am
  
  Thank Dennis for the word flow he is AMAZING. Thanks I really like this piece too 🙂
  
  LikeLike
  
twindaddy says:

February 7, 2013 at 6:17 am

Hasty, this is amazing. Simply amazing. You are the best.

LikeLike

- twindaddy says:
  
  February 7, 2013 at 8:44 am
  
  There is no such thing as “proper poetry” in my humble estimation. Everyone has their own style. I like your style. Obviously I have my own style and other poets have theirs, as well. What matters most is that the words speak to the reader, that the emotion is conveyed or even felt, and that the story is ultimately told. You do all three of these things very well, so keep on keepin’ on. You’re awesome, Hasty.
  
  LikeLike
  
  - twindaddy says:
    
    February 7, 2013 at 8:46 am
    
    A well deserved bow, at that.
    
    LikeLike
    
Kerry Dwyer says:

February 7, 2013 at 8:58 am

moving and poignant.

LikeLike

A Blog's Life says:

February 7, 2013 at 10:25 am

Really beautiful. And really sad to have remembered that fateful day . . . 😉

LikeLike

Rad change says:

February 7, 2013 at 12:37 pm

Awesome poem! You captured it all!

LikeLike

Kelly says:

February 7, 2013 at 1:08 pm

wow- very well written and extremely powerful.

LikeLike

colonialist says:

February 7, 2013 at 3:15 pm

The picture and words are both works of art. Well done to all three.

LikeLike

Read Stuff With Me! says:

February 8, 2013 at 6:19 am

This is so beautiful and touching…I loved it so much! Thanks for writing this!

LikeLike

huntmode says:

February 19, 2013 at 12:41 pm

Well done to express our disbelief, sadness, grief and loss. Thank you. ~ HuntMode

LikeLike

dcardiff says:

May 10, 2013 at 12:09 am

This brought me to tears. I remember the day well. I tried in vain to not read, and not hear, the details that were broadcast every hour. Finally, I succumbed and wrote my own eulogy, but not nearly so eloquently as you have done.

Thanks for putting my emotions to words – a loving tribute.

Sincerely,
Dennis

LikeLike

- hastywords says:
  
  May 10, 2013 at 6:55 am
  
  I avoided the news for so long same with Boston. But when McHale asked me to write this with him I wanted to do it justice. If you haven’t read his poetry you should….all of his stuff is this good 🙂
  
  LikeLike
  
toad (chris jensen) says:

May 17, 2013 at 12:26 pm

Reblogged this on tot123itsme and commented:
IN REMEMBRANCE OF SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY!….

LikeLike