Hadiya Pendleton, Chicago Honor Student, (In Memorial) R.I.P. Poem by Luke Easter

She participated in the inaugural festivities in Washington, D.C.,
15 years old, King College Prep Marching Band, she would see,
President Barrack Obama & history in the making for a 2nd time,
Back home in Chicago, dismissed from school early, all was fine.

Finished with her exams, huddled under a canopy, avoiding rain,
A local park,2: 30 P.M. with a dozen others, then the shots came,
As a lone gunman jumped a fence then opened fire in the crowd,
And like the aftermath at Sandy Hook, parents weeping out loud.

2 more were shot, probably rival gang members, aimed & missed,
While this scenario has and will play out again, an innocent kiss,
Kiss of death that is, once again the intended only suffer wounds,
The vibrancy of preciousness coupled with promise ends too soon.

Although Pendleton didn't have gang affiliation they were on scene,
Association with the wrong put an end to Hadiya's hopes & dreams,
Some in the group were fellow student members of the volleyball team,
Gunshots sent everyone running from the park amid panic and screams.

Armed with deadly force the gangbanger had no consciousness of life,
Hit or miss, for whatever reason, someone had to pay, wrong or right,
'All of it makes no sense, ' Lakeisha Stewart told the Chicago Tribune,
'She was following (her parents) rules' but it didn't make her immune.

Very well liked honor student, athlete, majorette at King College Prep,
And yet there is one major factor in these incidents all tend to forget,
Bullets don't have feelings you'll be killed as the target or by chance,
1st The Capital, next on her agenda a trip with classmates to Paris France.

There were 500 known murders in Chicago last year with 42 as of 1/29/13,
Statistics can sometimes be misleading so elaborate exactly what it means,
Well, we can talk about, make and pass however many laws on gun control,
Effect will be minimal if we continue to release convicted killers on parole.

Jay Carney said, 'Obama's prayers are with the family it's a terrible tragedy, '
Here is a better idea, get with Congress and come up with a better strategy,
'She was an amazing person - always positive, ' classmate Bria Carter said,
So were the 20 elementary kids at Sandy Hook however, they too are dead.

In Germany due to no speed limits it takes 6 months to get a license to drive,
Imagine if it took that long to get gun permits how many more might be alive,
Through proper training and learning of firearms rules along with procedures,
Municipalities could safely arm private citizens and most importantly teachers.