Children huddled over fresh linoleum motionless as miniatures

on the corner shelf faculty staff freaked

outside the classroom running shouting

 ‘active shooter’.  The third-grade teacher grips

scissors pressed to her chest behind the battle door of

innocence against the world coming to call.

Such dark distributed learning police

medics, Alcohol, Tobacco, and

Firearms in sight of the Office of Abundant Life.

Mimed weekly in classroom simulations

their school would forearm learners

against insensible reality not

invisible root wounds of the soul

that never can

stop

bleeding out.