The Guilt is Ours Too

by Marc Mangel

 

He had once been nameless and faceless

just another student at the junior high

a boy on a bike

filled with life and hope

 

And then his face appeared

on the front page

no longer nameless

but a young man

murdered

 

First they beat him

kicked him

did he scream

did he cry

surely he felt alone

and felt

fear

where were we?

 

He haunts me now

Does he haunt them

those young bastards

 

Then they pushed him

Pushed him into

a train

And the train killed

him.

 

He haunts me

I see him stumble

in the dark

searching for shelter

in a storm of blows

blinded by blood

and blows to

the head

 

Feeling fear

Feeling so alone

Surely we failed him.

 

How much hate

how much anger

had they felt

as they kicked and beat

and pushed him

into the train that

killed him.

 

And we?

We shall shake our heads

bemoan the “use of

alcohol by teens”

arrogantly claim “but

they had 3rd and B”

and now young

killers

sit and wait

but

we failed him

and the guilt is ours too.

 

for  a murdered young man, whom I never

knew

27-30 April 1992