by Sienna Galvez
We pray to heaven for the safety of their souls
A sweet child’s laughter now turned to silence
A room once for learning and bright young faces
Now full of empty desks, dusty books, and silence
We raise our voices, our banners, our anger
When those in power choose to keep their silence
The man with the gun, who maintains his rights
We ask, What should be done? His answer: silence
Another school day, children quietly reading
A teacher’s worst fear: gunshots break the silence
If we ask the mother who lost her son
What’s the loudest sound? Her answer is: Silence
Sienna Galvez is a senior at Utah Valley University pursuing her bachelor’s degree in English with emphases in Creative Writing and Writing Studies. Two of her poems have been published in the online women’s poetry magazine Voice of Eve.
Bullets into Bells 