Valentine's Day Poem by Justin Gildow

The arsonist roams the community
As many of us are sitting in his ring of fire
Valentine's Day is approaching
But no one's in the mood to celebrate
Some are loading up and locking up guns
Some are brandishing baseball bats and steel pipes
Ready to strike, defend, and protect if they have to

One night
I met a girl who goes to the school I used to go to
We traded stories of our histories there
She told me she passed on a trip to Broadway
She considers herself an outcast
Though she's in a choir

When it comes to Valentine's Day
We both don't know if we're even going to celebrate it
For many years I haven't really had a reason to celebrate it
She tells me she feels just the same

The police are on patrol at the school
Patrolling the hallways
Wanting to find the answers
Wanting the terror to end
Wanting good to triumph
Wanting to save and preserve Valentine's Day for many

Wind and snow come into our lives
Hand in hand
As we rapidly approach Valentine's Day
And somehow
Valentine's Day this year
Not even flowers and chocolates will be able to save it