A Poem on the 6th Anniversary of the Chardon High School Massacre

Can you believe it? School massacres are becoming routine in the USA! Here is a poem I wrote this week on the 6th anniversary of the massacre at Chardon High School--in Geauga County, Ohio, my home. My nephew Dillon Coughlin was in the cafeteria when this happened.

The Chardon High School Massacre—6 Years Later

It doesn’t even count as mass murder,

Only three children dead, another paralyzed,

Another gravely wounded, a sixth nicked.

The shooter, T.J. Lane, an insecure boy from a destroyed family,

Shot up his table in the cafeteria before classes began.

A 22-caliber handgun—almost quaint in this brave new world

Where children are mowed down with weapons of war.

At least two hero teachers, Frank Hall, chasing down the shooter,

And Joe Ricci, running in to a hallway where bullets were flying,

Rescuing Nick Walczak, the boy permanently paralyzed.

Three boys lay mortally wounded, Danny Parmertor,

Russell King, Jr., and Demetrius Hewlin.

Joy Rickers wounded, Nate Mueller grazed.

Two funerals at St. Mary’s Church, across the street from the high school,

Thousands of people forming a human chain to protect the funeral mass

From threatened protest by Westboro Baptist Church.

The community did everything it could think of to support the students,

Their families, and the families of the deceased, but . . .

The spirits and bodies and dreams and hopes of so many

Were shredded by unfeeling bullets fired

By the desperately unhappy boy, who

Will spend the rest of his days in prison.

                                    Robert M. Coughlin / February 27, 2018

Birthday Poem

Birthday Poem for Linda Rose

Can you imagine this?

We get to celebrate you and your birthday

In High Summer

When the day lilies line the lanes of Geauga County,

And the blue chicory sing out the joy of being alive,

Daisies and black-eyed Susans add their pop to the landscape,

Peace Rose rises,

And Lake Erie sparkles and glows in July sun . . .

And we sing thanks for your sweet life

And constant gifts of kindness and goodness

To your children,

Your grandchildren (who love you to the moon and back),

Your friends and family,

To the hungry, homeless, and lonely,

And to me, lucky dog, so amazed by your constant love and care . . . 

O Linda,

We celebrate your birthday 

and your blessèd life!

                                                Bob Coughlin / July 7, 2017


To see the poems I read at the July 8, 2017 Poetry in the Park program,
click here.

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Short Memory Needed in Ohio's Snowbelt!

Short Memory Needed in Lake and Geauga Counties

Yesterday, the last day of March, the temperature soared

to 54 degrees in Chardon and first crocus appeared--

I forgot that the very day before, I slept through a blizzard

and woke to 5 inches of wet snow.

My late late winter short-term memory is short indeed,

a requirement to live in the Snowbelt of Ohio!

Bob Coughlin / April 1, 2014

Poem about Chardon and Geauga County

Below is a draft of a poem-in-progress. It is somewhat fictionalized (my daughters are no longer little girls)--but it is true enough!

Just Under the Surface

Ratatatatatatatatatat . . .

The brutal rhythm goes on beyond my ability to count the rounds.

Any evening of the year, down at the end of my cul-de-sac, the dead end,

Or in two places across the road, less than a Hail Mary pass away,

Neighbors shoot at imagined enemies with some sort of automatic rifle--

A machine gun, in my mind, a terrible weapon of war,

Discharged into the woods in this suburban paradise.

My little daughters walking on the wooded path

The coyotes, the deer

Better beware

As a hail of fire rifles through the wood.

Under the surface under the surface of this wealthy suburban county

Like an embarrassing hateful tattoo

Is fear and hatred and violence

More intense than in the 3rd World Cleveland ghetto.

So I was not altogether surprised

When TJ Lane let loose his disturbed vision of vengeance

On innocent classmates in Chardon High School

That late winter day in 2012.

That anger, hatred, frustration is there. It is there, lurking

Just under the surface in wealthy Chardon,

Privileged Geauga County Ohio.

[Copyright 2013 by Robert M. Coughlin]