there's no fooling anyone

with a phony quiet
     at this instant
calm & autumn leaves are only
on a park trail

but go back a few days

& that's when
two people
were gunned down
a few blocks from
     here
in front of the high school
i graduated from
49 years ago

no teenage scuffle

like it used to be

the season has changed

start looking deeper
the forest can only weep
so long

--- e b bortz