Time
Margaret V.Doran
My heart stood still
but time marched on
my breathing stopped
but time marched on
my eyes ceased their blink
but time marched on
my self
stayed in horror and denial
How dare time march on?
How dare life not stop to give tribute
to the young mother so brutally slain
and pay reverent homage to the children
who will never laugh again
who will play games no more
who will never grow old
How dare time march on?
How dare life continue in its ebb and flow?
How dare there be no hole in the fabric of time
for the mother
for the children
for the baby?
How dare life make no exceptions
for grief
and pain
and loss?
They were worth more . . . deserved much more
than a simple pause in time.
(Laura, Sarah, Rachael and April Whitson were shot in September, 1995 by David Whitson. David hanged himself in his cell at the Oregon State Penitentiary in June, 1996 while serving a life sentence for the murders.)
Copyright © 1997
Margaret V. Doran. All rights reserved.
If you enjoyed this poem, please send her an e-mail here.
Two other poems were born from this tragic event. You may read them here: Laura | Margaret
Updated July 12, 1999
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