Two Pieces (Hunted Gazelles & All I Know) by Sarah Wang

Hunted Gazelles

during passing period
I walk with a target on my back
but don’t worry, my notebook tells me how fast to run
if an AR-15 is in proximity
which restrooms are closed;
which teachers will let me in when the alarms
start ringing

in math class
we are taught to find the probability a gunman will
enter campus
if the angle of our desks will protect us from bullet holes
that reach inside locked doors
these lectures become crucial
you learn how to factor chances of survival

are we only statistics?
numbers to be remembered in textbooks

moments in history
when condolences were not enough
another school shooting on channel 6
the dollar and fifteen made for every child who sends the text
it is not a drill

the bullet holes in my shoulder will not heal from your prayers
it cannot be bandaged by empty promises held in the cartridges
emptied in classrooms

don’t build a church on education
the second amendment will crumble the holy ground

---

All I Know

Sarah Wang is a junior at Arcadia High School in Arcadia, CA. She is a teen poet, activist, and journalist. Her bylines include The L.A. Times, VICE I-D, Alhambra Source, Arcadia Weekly, and HuffPost. She is a Scholastic Arts and Writing Gold Key winner for her poetry, later to become a Silver Medalist, and a Silver Key winner for her memoir. She is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Loud Journal and a third-year member of the Student Advisory Board for the L.A. Times. She was the youngest intern in her class during her summer internship at the L.A. Times where she covered politics, culture, and the arts. Her Twitter is @sarahcwang

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