Kent State Shootings Poem by Ray Hansell

Who can forget that tragic day
The year 1970, the month of May

The National Guardsman’s poised on a hill
Their rifles aimed, ready to kill

Gun fire soon filled the air
People screaming and running everywhere

The Guardsman’s were shooting at will
People afraid to stand still

Gun smoke drifted in the air
Bodies were scattered everywhere

Four students lay there dead
Others wounded by the flying lead

By now the cops were moving in
People were asking, where had they been?

Untrained soldiers with loaded guns
Killing peoples daughters and sons

Many people wondered what gave them the right
To move against the students with that much might

Why did they shoot into a crowd like that
Knowing the students wouldn’t shoot back

The students were armed with picket signs
But I wondered who committed the crimes?

The students were marching against the war
What were the guardsmen’s even there for?

A demonstration that took a bad turn
I wonder if any lessons were learned.

From the events that took place that day
When four college students were blown away


11-11-71/RJH