How Many Angels?
By RL
Dear America
How many angels
gunned down
in schools
out shopping
dancing
dating
sleeping
living
loving
before heaven fills up?
How many hopes
choked to death
by murderous protectors
shot to death
by law enforcers
robbed of
all the unknowns the
what could have been’s
the future
before all that’s left
is to give up?
How many flowers
strewn on sidewalks
hollow promises
podium bombast
lonely dinners
empty arms
child sized coffins
before we wake up?
How many Angels
would it take
crying in
your
house
before you Stand Up!!!!
How
Many
Angels?
44 Comments
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Wow, the concept of heaven getting filled is so powerful. I’ve never read anything like it before. I’m struck by those words. It gets a lot across right from the start of your poem.
No amount of words can express my appreciation and agreement for this poem.
i really like the first stanza. the repetition of what different people were doing as they died really hits hard because none of it was bad it was just people living!!! why was that a crime punishable by death!!!
Hi RL,
Your poem is beautiful. Your words are relevant and I can see that gun violence has ignited an outrage in you, like it has for us all. I like that your words start with a sort of calm desperation and pain that slowly transforms into a powerful call to action. I also really loved how you let the reader first feel as though they’re external to the problem but later turn it around and ask the readers to question what they’d do if this violence affected them. It’s hard to think about, but necessary. The images you invoke are incredible – “lonely dinners, child sized coffins”. These situations are too real for so many people and I hope your words reach many others. Thank you for sharing.
RL,
This is absolutely beautiful. I can feel the emotion in your words and a powerful call to action in your imagery. “child-size coffins… murderous protectors… crying angels,” all of these create a painful, beautiful image. Thank you for your courage.
KC
This hit hard. You hit every sad sad part of the way gun violence and death is handled in america. This made me want to fight for what is right. My soul will always ache for those “child size coffins”.
Amazing. You were able to say things others would’ve been too afraid to say. The words you use are so powerful you can feel the anger through the words. The last stanza flows so nicely and it sums up the point of the poem with just those few lines. Once again, amazing.
Hey RL! This is deep on so many levels socially and just the current issues with the world as a whole! Just know you all will inspire more people that will want to fight for their angels!
The beginning paragraph does an amazing job drawing in the reader!
Something definitely needs to change when it comes to the number of children we are losing to gun violence, it’s too much to stand by at this point.
Thank you for writing about these issues, they are powerful and should be passed on! Good luck and I hope only for the best! JP
Hi RL, this poem caught my attention very quickly. Your words are so powerful and eye opening, I loved how you really put an image in my head as I read this, it was such an attention grabbing poem. Keep up the amazing work!
Wow. This poem is amazing and conveys such strong emotion from the reader. Gun violence has been so overlooked and it’s so frustrating that it doesn’t seem like any amount of innocent people dying will make a difference to some people. I hope this poem impacts others as it did me when they read it.
This poem is absolutely an eye-opener. Asking “how many angels?” it’ll take until violence comes to an end is extremely powerful. Also asking questions in your poem like “how many hopes” and “how many flowers strewn on sideways” shows how violence is a universal issue and how people need to come together to put an end to it so no more innocent lives are lost. I think this poem reflects an important topic and I would not change a single thing. Great work!
I like your choice of words that you use to vividly describe the loss and despair we all face at the sound of hearing about the next victim to suffer at the hand of gun violence. It is a topic that hasn’t been spoken of often mainly due to how frequently it happens its almost as if we have accepted it to be a norm. I wish we had the answer to the question. How many more victims will it take for it to end? We hope for a day where death will be no more and violence will be a thing of the past. We can only but hope and wish.
This is really moving and expresses a powerful message. The way you word things and you short lines really emphasize the meaning behind this poem and almost give the poem a sense of urgency. This is a really beautifully written piece.
Hi RL,
This poem was so moving. You talked about such a heavy topic that is going on in society right now. I can feel your rage when reading your writing, and the desperation of wanting change. We are living in a very sad world right now. Gun violence is an ongoing issue and for some reason has not been solved. Your discussion of heaven and how much room will be left there for all the victims of gun violence was one of the most moving parts of your piece. Your third stanza is heart wrenching, but it is also realistic. The families of these victims continue to ache and hurt while our government continues to do nothing about gun violence. This piece is really incredible and full of heart, rage, persuasion, and gutting. I hope you keep writing because your piece has the strength to reach so many people experiencing this.
Best,
CB
RL your poem needs to be blasted on billboards everywhere so everyone can read it and really think about. I am agreeing with you 100 percent that something needs to get done by this. A lot of the Pro Life people, most of them refuse heavier gun laws and they will always argue about the fact that child might cure cancer. Well what about the kid who got murder they could’ve too. I hope too as-well that all the Angels will hopefully get there justice.
This poem gave attention to the topics that need it most. America is going downhill whether that be from law enforcement, school shootings, murders in general, etc. We are given hope and then we are robbed of it. Gun violence is a huge issue and I am glad you brought awareness to it. Especially by your last sentence, we need to stand up, we need to make a change. I enjoy the spark this ignited in your writing, as I can feel your anger and frustration and we need to make a difference. These are our children being harmed and killed for NO REASON. You did an amazing job with this poem.
This poem is both beautiful and saddening. Gun violence has been the end of far too many innocent lives in recent years, and the way your poem encapsules this is captivating. Your feelings are very visible in this poem, and it inspires readers to feel as well. I think the way that you state, “How many angels gunned down” and then list mundane daily tasks where innocent people are killed is so powerful. The state of this country and the gun violence in it is indeed upsetting, but the way that your poem captured the reasons why is so important, and I think this message is something that needs to be conveyed more. How many more children and innocent people need to lose their lives before this country realizes we have a problem? This poem is so powerful and sends a message for the future. Thank you so much for sharing this important message!
Ainsley
Hi RL, this poem is incredible. “Before heaven fills up” “lonely dinners, empty arms, child sized coffins”, these phrases are so emotion provoking. I can feel your passion for justice and I wholeheartedly agree with you. Your words are powerful and moving, thank you for speaking out.
Wow, I truly enjoyed this poem and found it very moving! The way you portray such a difficult concept to talk about these days and create it into an inspiring poem is great! I truly enjoyed reading this poem and believe that you have a real gift for writing. Thank you for talking about such an important issue.
Hi RL,
This poem was incredibly powerful and could make anyone truly think. I think about this concept a lot. There is so much hurt and death in the world, and why is that why does everyone feel that angry and need to kill. I really appreciate you taking the time to bring light to this subject. I wonder if you are someone who has lost someone to this violence. If so I’m very sorry for that. Even though this is a small step of writing a poem you doing this spreads awareness that is very much needed. Thank you.
Hi RL,
First, let me just say wow. Your poem is so amazing and truly has such a great meaning behind it. I can feel your passion behind each word you write and it adds to the passion you have on the subject. I 100% agree with you that it is time to stand up! Also, I love the repetition at the end of each paragraph. It helps the poem flow and adds emphasis to your words. I loved and truly appreciate your writing!
This poem is moving in ways some might not be able to fathom. In such short words, you have expressed so much and so many events that have occurred in the last few years. You talked about things some people wouldn’t even dare.
This poem is so entrancing that with minimal words for each sense, you can feel the pain in their words. How many angels? 3 simple words are all it takes to omit an emotion of sadness and distraught about all the world’s pains. This was my favorite poem.
This poem is mighty and sends a powerful message. You have expressed most of the events which had a lasting impact on American society. Charming message.
Words speak louder than anything. The reality is there will never be enough room in heaven because there will still be innocent people coming. All this violence is not going to go away. This moves people and I hope eventually we can all come together and stop the violence.
Your poem was very touching because I’ve never thought about what you said when you said how many before heaven fills up and I thought that was very powerful and something that a lot more people should think about when discussing gun violence.
This is a beautifully written, powerful poem. Sadly, you have explained many events that have happened over the past few years and we are not doing enough to solve these issues. Writing this poem directly to America is incredible because America seems to be one of the only countries where this is such a big issue. We let gun rights and violence be associated with political parties causing people to only see what their party agrees with, not how it affects real, living people. Such a powerful, real poem. Thank you for writing it.
This poem is very strong and I am drawn to the subject of this poem. So many people and soles die every single day from shootings, murders, and much more which is very sad to see. The world needs to do something about this problem because young people especially those with a big life ahead of them are dying because of horrible soles. I like how you formatted this poem with questions because it brings out the tone more. Keep up the great writing!
This poem is extremely powerful. First, I want to start with talking about how important this message is. Police brutality and gun violence is a huge issue plaguing the citizens of America. So many innocent children have been the victims of not only school shootings but also random gun violence which is horrible and unacceptable. We as a society need to come together to make a change because we cannot afford to lose any more children, friends, family members, teachers, etc. The last line in the first stanza is so powerful and moving, and an amazing analogy which really leaves an impression on the reader as well as a powerful visual. Overall, this poem is moving and really makes the reader take a moment to sit and just think. So powerful and well written!
This poem is extremely moving! How many of our babies need to die before we take a stand? Every single line in your poem is POWERFUL. The way you explain the pain we have for the ones that have passed is felt through the page. We need change to help save our people. Thank you for fighting and speaking that no longer can! Keep writing, your work is beautiful!
Hi RL
Your poem tackles such an important and current topic in the country today about Gun violence and police brutality. This poem is powerful and straight to the point, as you voice how tired we are as a nation to these senseless acts. Talking about how heaven may fill up brings is incredibly moving and reminds us how many lives are lost.
Hi RL! I think your poem has touched me in a way that not a lot of others have been able to. As someone who is directly affected by school gun violence, the way you approached it and spoke about it really touched me. I hope to read more from you as I really resonated with what you said!
To RL- Your poem is a very moving one. There’s a lot of emotion packed into it and you can tell it’s a topic that’s very important to you. This topic is also so relevant in today’s world, there are so many things going on but shootings are sadly very common in our country specifically. It can happen anywhere and anytime, and to anyone at any age which is even worse. So many children lose their lives in a space where they’re meant to get an education, so many religious individuals get killed at a place where they worship, and so many people lose their lives doing their everyday activities. I like how you brought up the concept of heaven getting full, it’s a scary thing to think about. It’s even scary that so many innocent lives get sent there because of terrible circumstances. Adding the idea of “lonely dinners, empty arms, child-sized coffins” really sends home the idea of members of people’s families, especially children are getting killed during these shootings. I think one of the hardest things to think about is a parent sending their child to a school where they’re supposed to be safe and knowing they may never come home if something like that happens. Thank you for writing a poem like this, very unique!
Hello, this poem is really eye opening and sombering. The imagery you use to highlight the fact that heaven is filling up with the innocent children who fall victim to school shootings and gun violence is so so impactful. I completely agree that we really need to ask ourselves why we aren’t doing more to stop this. How many people do we need to have missing from our homes before we wake up and take a look around us. I really appreciate your work and hope its gets more public recognition as it deserves it. Thank you for this piece, and I hope to read more from you in the future. Wishing you all the best! 🙂
Wow. I love this poem. Addressing issues we experience every day is a great way to captivate the reader. You surely got my attention. Things like these don’t need to be talked about more; they are talked about plenty. Instead of using word of mouth, people actually need to do something to stop the crises we witness everyday with no change.
RL,
Your words moved me. The world we live in feels so numb to the concept of loss, especially watching as so many young people die at the hands of gun violence. What really resonated was, “what could have been’s”. The potential, the hope, lost. It is easy to get distracted by all of the pain, but spreading the stories of victims/survivors can help heal. This poetry can also help us heal, reflecting on what we need to do better. The questions you posed are incredibly important. Thank you for being so vulnerable, keep writing.
This poem is amazing. When is gun violence going to stop? I agree with everything you wrote in this poem, it’s a very powerful poem. As I was reading your poem, your words were forming pictures in my head of each little paragraph, like the flowers on the side walk. That is a great talent to have! keep writing.
I like how you brought up these controversial topics and made them uncontroversial. You put the facts down and made it very respectful to the families and people affected by violence. It is a very important poem and will definitely move people who read this.
The Angels being gunned down in schools are all the innocent senseless killings that still happen today and they are Saints. It’s interesting that you say before Heaven fills up like Heaven is waiting for them. There are so many hopes that see the Promised Land in site yet they are choked to death like being lied to. Who are the murderous protectors? Innocent people being shot by law enforcers but sometimes not. How many flowers does it take to remember someone as a person who was unique and didn’t deserve to die? Hollow broken promises. How much do we have to see till we get it and can we even wake up in time to change for the better? Great motivational speech at the end how many Angels would it take crying in your house before you Stand Up?
My school had a shooting threat three days ago. we got an email from the school saying that classes would go on as normal and that there would be extra police presence. I went to all of my classes (4) and saw one Campus safety officer. the school did nothing and were not going to do anything until something happened. I think that this poem speaks to that perfectly and I cannot believe that the country I live in would allow this.
Hello RL, this poem really hits hard. There is so much power in your poem. This is sadly something that happens too often nowadays and it needs to end. Your poem did a beautiful job about talking about these horrible events. You have an amazing talent. I hope you continuing writing and sharing your work.
RL,
I think this poem is truly a work of art! The emotion and meaning behind the words you chose to use truly shows how powerful words are and how much meaning they bring. I think especially with what has been happening in this world recently this poem is so powerful and truly deserves to be recognized. Great job, I really enjoyed reading this. You truly have a gift.
I LOVE this poem. This was so powerful and a wake-up call to any people in positions of power that may see this. The beginning really highlights that you can be anywhere and have your life taken from you. You can be enjoying yourself or at the grocery store and someone can decide to take your life. It is a scary reality and I love how you used the phrase of how many angels can fit in heaven until we take action.
This is an incredibly moving poem, that artfully calls for action to end gun violence, which has greatly effected students. The jarring idea of “heaven filling up” will no doubt provoke emotion from readers, as it emphasizes the number of deaths that have resulted from guns. Additionally, the capitalization of “Stand Up” provides a direct wake-up call and command to readers, as if the author is speaking directly to them.