She came in // about one pm // on a Monday // she had a gun //In math class //they got the memo //Lockdown is a scary word //only if you’ve neverdone it //I ask them what it meant //a “lock-and-teach” //they saidjust that //but there’s another classification: //“lock-and-hide” //that’s when you’reallowed to start wigging out //silently //keep the kids silent too //that’s the hard part
She came in //she had a gun //just like they’d practiced //their laptops droned on //the kids get it //bored, facingtheir screens //earbuds dangling stupidly like broken necklaces //you know you’re notsupposed to have those //such a pain in the ass to discipline for that //
Keep working on your pretests //door locked, heartbeats steady //not so bad //at leastwe don’t have to hide //“Will it…
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The American Poetry Review (Digital) - 1 Issue, May/June 2024