Molten

Relentless blaze overhead,
Sidewalks radiate, air shimmers.
Sweat forms constellations on skin,
Each inhale a desert wind.

Still, life persists:
Determined bee
Drinks from faucet’s gleaming drop,
Miniature marvel midst the scorching.

Flowers droop, lawns fade golden,
In this kiln of endless blue
Raw splendor emerges –
Tenacity painted in waves.

Hummingbirds dart, seeking,
As we chase elusive shadows,
Yearning for Pacific breezes
And twilight’s caress.

This unyielding blaze
Challenges and reveals,
Distilling existence in days remaining
To its sun-soaked essence.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

38 school shootings this year. 38 times our children have faced terror in what should be their safest space. And we’re only in September.

Today’s tragedy at Apalachee High School isn’t just another statistic. It’s four young lives extinguished. It’s countless families shattered. It’s a community forever scarred. And it’s a glaring reminder of our collective failure to protect our most vulnerable.

This is not normal. This is not acceptable. This is a national emergency.

Every day we delay action, we risk more lives. The facts are stark and undeniable:

• Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for American children and teens
• Since 2020, more children have died from guns than from car accidents
• In the time it takes to read this article, another child will be shot in America

Yet, in the face of this carnage, what do we see? Inaction. Excuses. Political paralysis.

Enough.

We don’t lack solutions. We lack the will to implement them:

1. Universal background checks – supported by 90% of Americans
2. Red flag laws – proven to reduce gun suicides by up to 14%
3. Assault weapons ban – could reduce mass shooting fatalities by 70%
4. Increased funding for mental health and violence prevention programs

These aren’t radical ideas. They’re common-sense measures that could save countless lives. Lives like the four we just lost in Georgia. Lives that could be your child, your sibling, your friend.

To those who oppose these measures, I ask: How many more children must die before you act? How many more parents must bury their kids? How many more schools must become crime scenes?

This is not about politics. This is about survival. This is about whether we, as a nation, value our children’s lives more than we value unfettered access to firearms.

The 2024 election is our chance – perhaps our last chance – to demand real change. We need leaders who will prioritize our children’s lives over political expediency. Leaders who will stand up to the gun lobby — and those who support them — and say:

No more.