Tarnished Tranquility Poem by Theresa Ann Moore

The carriage of contentment
has a severely broken axle
A peaceful path once traveled
is no longer carefree and tranquil

Drug deals are done openly
as children play… senior citizens
shudder and look the other way
as to avoid giving descriptions

A young man settled a dispute with a gun
on the fringe of a sunbaked parking lot
while horrified people waited at the bus stop…
A college freshman is killed with one shot

A security guard is jumped by three
as she made nightly rounds to protect...
earning her minimum wage paycheck
Unarmed… she fought back to deflect

The atmosphere is contaminated
by an anxiety and the fear of violence
Now a walk to the neighborhood store
is accompanied by cautious silence

8/12/2010