clcouch123

A Thousand Stories’ Ending

(https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/08/us/thousands-oaks-california-bar-shooting/index.html)

How awful is it

That in counting human tragedy

There never is an ending

Twelve more die in California

By someone who had the privilege

Of guns

What was the motive

What cares

The family of the cop

The officer is lost

It’s almost absurdly dangerous work

With the luxury of weapons

So profuse

Twelve stories finished

Horribly

How many more will radiate out

Exponentially

To make a nautilus

A spire

Changing more and changing more

Outward

Over time

Making a circle of

Finality, regret

We despair

Over the Philippines

And Indonesia

Ukraine

South Sudan

France

Venezuela

And in many parts of the USA

Time will tell us nothing

The victims’ lives are done

There is nothing more

C L Couch

(CNN)

The gunman, a US Marines veteran, arrived at the bar on Wednesday night with a pistol, officials said. He shot an unarmed security guard outside the bar, then went in and continued shooting, injuring other security workers, employees and patrons, Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean said. Ian David Long, killed 12 people before apparently taking his own life.

. . .

The casualties included a veteran sheriff’s deputy who was nearby talking to his wife on the phone when the call came over the radio for an active shooter.

“(The deputy said), ‘Hey, I have to handle a call. I love you, I’ll talk to you later,’ ” the sheriff said.

Sgt. Ron Helus rushed into the bar as gunshots continued; he was killed.

(image)

Los Angeles Times