Police radios blaze
Shots fired Shots fired
Two officers down
Two down
Angry panic over radio waves
Phone rings
Sarg- we don’t know if it’s your son
Line gone
A dash to call whoever can say it
Is it my boy?
Is it my son?
Sir we don’t know yet
Life flight on way- you can come identify
If it’s your son – We don’t have names yet
Police radio crackles again
A sad voice illuminates the night
Can someone tell me where is my husband?
Silence in the night as breaths are held
And released in cursing mutters under breaths
Sarg! It’s not your son
Relief
But other sons are gone
Two warriors
Gone in less than
Four minutes
A blink or two
Four children
Two Wives
Senior in high school
They are gone
Never to be held or touched
Again by their Daddies
Female detective
Lost her soul mate
Four children- youngest only 8 months old
Who will never remember Daddy’s breath when he gives kisses hello
And kisses goodbye
Brothers in blue
Mourning
Each of you
The guilty relief
It was not my son
But they were someone else’s sons
Mother dashes on a plane to decide to
Take him off life support
What thoughts went through her mind
Hoping it was a bad dream & that
She’d walk in his room & he’d be smiling
At her
Surely it can’t be my son
Not my son
Community leaders
Heros
Warriors
Selfless men
Who loved their jobs
Their families
Their friends
Gone
But not forgotten
Their legacy goes on
Beckoning those left behind
As a reminder
To not stop
To engage
To love
To laugh
To make a difference
To be in the moment
In our communities
Because there we will find
Sons who need us
And a reminder
That life is precious
So we better live it
And live it well
Jeni McCreary
strengthdefined 