Blood-Red Dawn

This poem is about a tragic incident that occurred no more than 2 miles from my house. A disgruntled worker open-fired on co-workers killing three people and injuring nine others. After the shooting he was on the run in close by my place of residence for 24 hours before making a suicidal gesture and being gunned down in the driveway of a quiet resident neighborhood.

Pre-dawn hours fall upon lost horizons,
serenity fills the early morning air;
Not a soul has awakened from the quiet dark,
Not even the smallest of sounds had appeared.

Suddenly I am awoken to sounds of sirens screaming,
briefly my eyes open to acknowledge the noise;
I was thinking that maybe in reality I was dreaming,
I fell back down into sleep I enjoy.

Early light then surfaces, I rise awake and curious
to find what I heard to be a nightmare;
Real, haunting, and for miles around,
a city living in fear.

Blood-shed was further from our minds,
as we entered a new day of life;
Only skies were gray in more ways than one,
as tragic events unfolded near by.

His brain executed by truth or paranoia,
scars that played a brutal role;
Everyone believed to be after him now,
fire him, the ultimate goal.

Donning a stoned and emotionless face,
basking in hate that breeds;
He arrived for carnage of those who betray,
late, to slowly watch them bleed.

Entering the plant, a meeting taking place,
he strolls in without saying a word;
Pours a drink and circles the room,
then exits the building with hurt.

Without even a glance he walked straight to his car,
flipped open the trunk with his hands;
Reached into the back, pulled out a sack,
brandished a gun in his hand.

One-by-one he picked them off
with single bullets to the chest;
Packing more heat in the back of his car,
he vowed to finish off the rest.

Circling the room one more time
to assure everyone was dead;
First there was gun-fire followed by silence,
as survivors tried to keep their heads.

One survivor sprints for the door
to a near-by empty room;
Dials for assistance to end the gore,
as he watches the casualties zoom.

One-by-one, friend and such,
he cannot believe his eyes;
Blood on the walls, blood on the floor,
blood on a murderer's mind.

In a flash he starts to dash,
he hears the sirens roar;
Out to his car, as fast as he can,
leaving behind a bloody morgue.

Revs the engine, steps on the gas,
pulls out with a burning thunder;
Metal to the floor driving fast,
won't stop until he's six feet under.

Skies the limit as faster he goes,
taring past on-coming rescue;
With evil in his eyes, rampage on high,
irrationality symbolic of mood.

Rescue arrives to run inside,
horrific the scene they find;
Three dead with bullets in their chests,
with six more left to die.

A call made forth to threaten again,
static sounds possesses the speakers;
As he vows to come back to finish the job,
the volume on the radio gets weaker.

Meanwhile two long hours have passed
with no signs of a villainous stalker;
Then an alert comes in, there has been an attempt
to car-jack an innocent walker.

He struggled with her to control her car,
success would not prevail;
He shot her once in the leg and she fell,
as the assailant fled derailed.

As news came in, "a car-jacking had occurred,
a killer is on the loose";
Connections made near and afar,
similarities between the two.

SWAT teams quickly filled the areas,
searching for miles around;
As nightfall was quickly ascending on us,
not a single soul was found.

Helicopters overhead, canines chasing scent,
officers checking door-to-door,
on foot, how far could he have went;
As dark proceeded to blind the day,
rainfall at a halt;
Still not a face to place with hate,
he could be waiting to bolt.

Hours continued to pass us by
with no trace of human kind;
Deep into the fall of night
carnage left behind.

Stationed at every mandated post,
residential lights turned off;
Officers searching for a ghost
who has eluded every cop.

An empty house without any lights,
intruder hidden away;
It seems as though he's laying low
until the light of day.

No way out he makes his move,
as the sunlight shines it's rays;
Wedges himself between two cars,
when officers see his face.

Remembering of the day before,
blood spilled at the hands of a killer;
Officers proceed to raise their guns
with orders to surrender.

A suicidal gesture is made
pointing his weapon to his head;
Then he waves his gun at the cops,
in seconds he was dead.

Sighs of relief heard from around,
a madman has been shot dead in the streets;
Now a community can come together in silence,
to reflect on those who can no longer breathe.

Paul Hickey
11-17-11