innocence

The school bus rolled down our road this morning at 6:40

Same as always

Keeping to the schedule

As if nothing had changed

As if the same thing couldn’t happen again today

Here

Or somewhere else

As if grief and terror and fear and horror

Didn’t wait by the side of the road for that bus

As if parents didn’t linger one minute more

For a last glimpse through the window

As if innocence didn’t climb aboard

Each and every day

For an education.

one hopeful year