they are sending texas
school kids home with
dna kits and placards
for their fingerprints
not as an experiment into
researching genealogy
but to help police
identify bodies
in case of another
school shooting
not for the purpose
of teaching anything
except that the government
will do nothing to
curtail the mass shootings
except to make it easier
for first responders
to properly tag corpses
bulletproof backpacks
live shooter drills
metal detectors at
all of the entrances
a police presence
and now dna kits for
three point eight million
children that should
be going to be educated
instead being trained
in how best to survive
what should be a safe place

i am willing to bet
the cost of these measures
taken happily from
tax payer pockets
does not come close to
the amount the lobbyists
pay the senators to
maintain a status quo
these elected officials
bought and paid for by
special interest groups
that have no interest in
the safety of constituents
doing anything to appear
to be doing something
when their main goal
is identifying little bodies
rather than preventing
another fucking tragedy
blaming mental illness
then cutting funding
for treatment and
raising prices for meds
unwilling to disturb
the applecart as it rolls
over the dead and dying
affixed with placards
so their parents can be
informed of their loss
without having to wait
is the best scenario
the whores in the capitol
can think up that won’t
stop the flow of funding
for reelection campaigns
where they lie about all
the changes they will
never manage to enact
sacrificing the future
for momentary monetary gain

are we really okay
with these half measures
hoodwinked by promises
campaign lies spun
with no intent of action
these career politicians
doing everything they can
to do nothing at all
unless at the behest of
their corporate masters
banning abortions due to
an outdated work of fiction
while standing by willingly
as children are slaughtered
not seeing the hypocrisy
of willful ignorance
quoting scripture in place
of enforcing meaningful
changes to make the state
a better place to live
because that would affect
the bottom lines of the
puppet masters dictating
the terms of surrender
while the talking heads
point fingers at anyone
who dares speak out against
the willing exchange of
cash for innocence bleeding
out across cafeteria floors
easily identified remains
rather than actual solutions
to preventing the senseless
death in the name of profit