Untitled
By AL
Melissa Perez. Say her name!
Daniel Garcia. Say his name!
Come on America, how many more loved ones must we lose to the sound a gun makes?
How much more can one society take?
Do we not see that we are our own worst enemy?
How many more must die before we implement a remedy?
Guns or our loved ones,that is the question we all must face,
because we are losing our future leaders at a fast pace.
Say the names of those lost to senseless gun violence,
and pray for those who have the power to change things,
but chose the option of silence.
Let not the lives lost be in vain,
and pray constantly for America,
asking God to ease the pain.
*Rest In Power to the lost to gun violence.
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The poets featured here are currently incarcerated, and many of them are in federal prisons far from home. Your feedback is a valuable source of motivation and connection to the outside community. Post your comments, feedback, and encouragement in the space below the poem. Messages will be passed on directly to the author. Comments may not appear immediately on the site, as our team processes them to mail to the poets.
AL, your poem touches on a prevalent topic that deserves attention. Gun violence is an important issue, and I am moved by your call to action with this poem. Many people are affected by gun violence daily, so your poem is a way that people can connect with feelings of loss from gun violence. Your poem advocates for everyone who has been affected by this tragedy. Your work has a profound impact on many. Great job!
Gun violence is an ongoing situation that deserves to be talked about. It’s definitely gotten worse instead of better. No matter how many revolts and protests occur, there’s always another life lost. Your poem accurately captured want everyone thinks.
Hello AL,
The 4th stanza, so telling: “…we are losing our future leaders at a fast pace.” It grabbed my attention.
I really like the emphasis that the new line added to 5th stanza, when “but chose the option of silence” stood alone, not part of the previous line.
And the last line, so powerful: *Rest in Power to the lost to gun violence. Throughout your poem your words have powerful imagery. Thank you.
Lindy
Wow- your stanza “Guns or our loved ones,that is the question we all must face,
because we are losing our future leaders at a fast pace” really stuck with me. It is sickening to think about how many future leaders we are losing because we cannot value human life over guns. Thank you for bringing attention to this issue and keep using your words for change.
This topic deserves a lot of attention sadly this is a big problem. With loved ones losing there life and taking peoples futures too early. The two lines back to back saying “pray to those that have the power to change things, but choose the option of silence.” This grabbed my attention because there is a lot of people that have the power to change things in America but instead they decide to stay quiet and chose not to fix things. Amazing poem I’m hoping this poem brings attention to more people!
AL, this is a truly moving poem. I love how you start the poem by listing victims of gun violence, it is super powerful. I also really like your use of rhetorical questions in the 3rd stanza: “Do we not see that we are our own worst enemy? / How many more must die before we implement a remedy?” These lines stimulate self-reflection and a personal desire to do something to help the cause.
AL, your poem is extremely moving and it left a huge impact on me. As a Hispanic, right off the bat, your poem had a huge impact on me after reading the names Melissa Perez and Daniel Garcia. It’s heartbreaking to know that gun violence has played a role to this degree in your life and I pray you’re able to find peace, hopefully, you already have. Thank you for writing this poem.
AL- This is a beautiful poem, I can hear the desperate cry for justice and change in your words that so many have felt who have lost loved ones to gun violence. Thank you for being another voice calling for us to change. Your words are powerful and needed, keep sharing them.
This poem really hit me hard with its urgent call to action against gun violence. The repetition of “say their names” made me feel the weight of the lives lost, reminding us that these victims are more than just statistics. I was struck by the powerful questions about societal inaction and the choice of silence; it emphasizes how crucial it is for us to remember those we’ve lost and push for change.
You have a powerful voice that doesn’t go by unnoticed in this world of literature! You narrated an abrasive topic in only a few lines, each very loud and alarming. Keep sprouting awareness, the seeds of tomorrow begins with the voice of every person who chooses to speak.
AL, this poem is beautiful. I feel the power in words and the desperate plea for justice. The line that struck me was “Do we not see that we are our own worst enemy?” I think the power in that line is amazing and it paints such a clear cry for action
This poem brings awareness to the very prevalent issue of gun violence in America. It is a call for action that is motivational in the face of tragic events that should not be occurring in the first place.
his poem really speaks to the heart. So inspiring! Keep writing!
Wow, a very powerful poem, indeed; a much-needed powerful poem. I like that you mentioned that those lost to gun violence could have been our future leaders. Where can we draw the line of overstepping constitutional rights versus saving lives? What makes guns so important to people that they value them over our human peers? This poem leaves a lot open to interpretation. Is this a progressive request to ban guns? Is this about the violence seen between officers and society? Is it about gang warfare? There are so many areas in which guns are prevalent and deadly. This poem is a great way to make people think about their actions and the consequences they have.
AL, I thought this was a great poem about such a serious and important cause. This poem is powerful and urgent, demanding reflection on a heartbreaking reality. The repetition of “Say their name” emphasizes the weight of each life lost, while the call for action and accountability resonates deeply. Your words carry a strong message—keep using your voice to shine light on important issues!
Thank you for sharing this beautiful poem.Your words are sharp and discuss a prevalent issue in todays time. Gun violence is real. Thank you for speaking out on how it is harmful. Your poem perfectly depicts how many in America feel about gun violence and the harm it causes. Thank you for sharing.
this is a great perspective and I stand with you, more often than not we are our own enemy for sure.
Your poem is so powerful and touching, especially in today’s political climate. I wish more people could read this. I don’t understand how our country can be so heartless at times.
A poem is a both beautiful and harsh reminder of the people we have lost to gun violence. Come on America really emphasizes that this is an issue between us, the people. Internal divisions in our country are ruining America and driving a beautiful nation into the ground with gun violence being at the frontier of issues. This poem is a testament to the violence in our lives and the resistance we must put up. Reminding us about the lives lost throughout the poem serves as the perfect means of insisting on the message to put guns away.
It is also the diction in the poem which gives it so much impact. The words “power, senseless, pray” all of these outline the strong emotions we feel and must act upon to make our country safe again. The appeal to ethos here is clear through the usage of these words evoking an appeal to the readers morals and to the innocent lives lost to gun violence.
AL,
Thank you for your poem. Gun violence is so common in America, and it must end. Your cry to end gun violence is one of many, but our politicians will never make a move to do so. We must fight and protest every day to end gun violence, and I appreciate you are sticking up to it. Even though you are incarcerated you are thinking of and fighting for other people, and I admire you for that. The opening of your poem was striking and even though I was unsure of who Melissa Perez and Daniel Garcia were, I am not anymore. That is why poems and protests like yours that acknowledge people who have died to gun violence are so important, I will not forget their names anymore and I will fight for them as well.
I really like your poem. The topic is very relevant in today’s society. It IS important to make sure that those lost to gun violence are not forgotten.
This poem is a heartfelt and urgent plea for justice, echoing the pain and frustration that so many feel. By naming the lost and confronting silence with truth, it becomes both a memorial and a call to action. The closing lines are especially poignant—reminding us that remembrance must be paired with change, and that healing starts with refusing to look away.
This poem is an incredible way to get people to begin and acknowledge the issues surrounding gun violence. While we see it on the news and in articles all the time, there is never actually anything done about it. The questioning tone in the poem provides a sense of “why?”, wondering why nothing has been done about the lives lost.
AL, this is a powerful work of art. We have become so accustomed to gun violence in this country that every new gun death is just an average day. I once heard a quote and I cannot remember who said it but the quote is, “one death is a tragedy but one million deaths is a statistic.” It breaks my heart that the people in power in this country care more about guns than people. How many more people have to die in order for there to be change? School shootings are so normalized in this country and it is honestly sickening. We should not have to fear for our lives when going to school, a concert, the mall, or just walking down the street. You have shed light on such an important subject and I want to see you write more. Great work.
Your poem speaks with urgency and truth. Saying their names gives life to your message and reminds us of the human cost behind the news. You express the pain and the need for change in a strong and direct way. Thank you for using your voice to honor those lost.
AL, your poem is very thought-provoking. It gets me thinking “how can I be the change I want to see in the world?” I love that you get people to think about our society and the violence that takes place. We should prioritize our loved ones’ safety and strive to promote peace instead of causing disruption and violence. We should rather disrupt the violence to bring peace. Keep writing your poems, AL, they are great!
This poem is beautifully written and honors the lives of those who have been horrifically lost to gun violence. I loved how you state the names of Melissa and Daniel at the beginning of the poem! The repetition of the word “say” in the poem is very important… we must not stay silent and use our voices as our own.
I think the mix of asking for responsibility and turning to religion is incredibly powerful. Often times, those who refuse gun reform say “we’re praying for families” instead of doing something. Having your poem push against that is so indicative of what the real solution is. Starting with names of victims is a great way to make your readers confront the reality of the situation.