Too many bullets
into too many bodies
placed in too many coffins
buried in too many cemeteries
for too little reason
none of which matter
to the dead or the living
who grieve them
for no reason
would be acceptable
enough to explain
to a mother
to have lost a child
to a brother
who has lost the same
to a community
that has lost hope
that any bullets
will be spent
to protect
the too little
they have too long
fought to call their own
instead of being used
to take too much away
to take away too much dignity
to take away too much justice
to take away too many freedoms
those same over which
too many wars were fought
too many soldiers sent
too many bullets
into too many bodies
in too many coffins
shipped back to
too many countries
for too many reasons
to protect
the too little
they have too long
fought to call their own
to protect dignity
to protect justice
to protect freedoms
they claim are guaranteed
in a country with
not enough stars
and too few stripes
to represent us all
Per request, here is me reading this poem.