Bang Bang

Tom, Dick and Harry,
BFF, for real, for sure.
See them run in the backyard,
young and carefree
and oh so innocent.
Laughing, screaming,
shouting and oh so rarely crying.
Bang bang! You’re dead!
No, you’re dead! I shot first!
bang bang,
what fun they’re having, those little
cowboys and Indians,
those cops and robbers
‘Bang,’ I said.
Ok, I’m dead.

Tom, Dick and Harry,
growing up, growing pains
growing gains, many strains
but friends forever
nothing comes between them
Look at my new toy!
It’s so shiny!
Here, you can borrow it.
What’s mine is yours.
You’re the best!
They're the best.
Carefree and happy.
Kids, simply.

Tom, Dick and Harry
still together after all these years
Same schools, same friends
same everything.
Then, in comes Mary
sweet, innocent, and smelling of
morning dew.
Tom falls for her,
but so do Dick and Harry
I saw her first,
No, I saw her first.
You can’t have her.
She’s mine.
What are you gonna do about it?

Bang bang through the school.
He was so normal,
He was loved and intelligent
What compelled him to do such a thing?
We are deeply shocked
We are painfully saddened
I blame the music
I blame the TV
I blame the parents
I blame someone.
Anyone but me.

bang bang

why did you do it?

bang bang

are you happy now?

bang bang

were you ever?

bang bang

we should have seen it coming.

Yes,
but why didn’t we?

(Written in April 1999)