~ Murder in the Morning, Laughter in the Afternoon

Photo by Nellie Vin~

Murder in the Morning, Laughter in the Afternoon

My neighborhood breathed as usual

Motor pings and shifting gears

Wind rushing around corners

fire truck and ambulance ominous wails

seagull screeches soaring flight

Pop! …then sirens…so many wrecks

Outside and headed to my car

A crowd gathered looking east

To the alley across the street

My head turned to see police cars

And crime tape and another crowd

“Someone was shot and killed, murdered,” replied Sally.

Knowing some of our residents use this alley

I ask, “Do we know who?  Sally replied, “No.”

The victim was not one of our resident’s.

I shivered to realize I heard the death shot.

But there was a victim

He lay still now, in his car,

He was forty years old

Angry words and

Another man’s fear

 Produced a gun

 And separated him

From the living world

Anger and a split second

The remainder of two

Separate lives shot dead

With the same single bullet

Six hours later

Two children rode their hot wheels

Down the alley over the

Place of death and innocent

laughter fills the air

And I remember

Nothing halts
the march of time

My neighborhood breathed as usual

Motor pings and shifting gears

Wind rushing around corners

fire truck and ambulance ominous wails

seagull screeches soaring flight

sandra m. hagan © January 18th, 2011