Poetry: Nineteen Tomorrows* by Neil Daswani

2 min read

Neil Daswani shares a poignant poem on the brutal massacre of nineteen elementary school kids of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde Texas on May 24th by a lone teenage gunman.

EDITOR’S PICK OF THE WEEK

(As the editor’s pick for this week, this article will be available for free reading for a week)

Shooter in the classroom

… run, run, run

but, there’s nowhere to run

and there’s nowhere to hide

the shooter in the classroom

has got hate on his side

It makes no sense

he’s all of eighteen

he’s come of age

isn’t it obscene?

he now owns a licence

to trigger his rage

a licence to kill

… a licence to maim

no limit to the number

of lives he can claim

a licence to kill

… a licence to maim

ready, fire … aim

shooter in the classroom

… run, run, run

nineteen tomorrows

that ended today

shooter in the classroom

… run, run, run

nineteen tomorrows

… that fell to a gun

*A memoriam for the nineteen children who died on May 24th 2022 at Robb Elementary School, Uvalde, Texas

About the Poet

Neil Daswani is a naturalized Singaporean of Indian origin. Over the past thirty-one years he has lived and worked in Singapore, Hong Kong and the Middle East. This international background finds expression in his poetry. He is a banker by day and a poet by night who now writes poetry prolifically. His poetry covers a myriad of themes ranging from nature and mythology, high school physics and history, to humour and the ebb and flow of love and relationships.

The year 2020 has been a milestone year for him wherein he has published three separate volumes of poetry: Why Now? followed by Seen & Felt and Redshift.

About Author

Editor_Kitaab

Namrata is a published author who enjoys writing stories and think pieces on travel, relationships, and gender. She is a UEA alumnus and has studied travel writing at the University of Sydney.

She is also an independent editor and a book reviewer. Her writings can be found on various sites and magazines like the Asian Review of Books, Contemporary South Asia Journal of King’s College-London, Mad in Asia, The Friday Times, Daily Star, The Scroll, Feminism in India, The Brown Orient Journal, Inkspire Journal, Moonlight Journal, The Same, Chronic Pain India and Cafe Dissensus.

Her short stories have been a part of various anthologies . She has also published two short story collections of her own along with two solo titles as well. She is currently working on her debut novel. She loves travelling the length and breadth of the world and enjoys capturing the magic of life in her words. She is always in pursuit of a new country and a new story.

See author's posts