Mateen Two Hours Past
Midnight in the Garden
of Self Loathing
The Jewish Sabbath ended hours before
The incident. The Christian holy day
Had just begun. Was Allah sleeping or
Exulting on his throne? To whom to pray
When holy Omar opened fire inside?
He’d been on Jack D’s, talked with other men,
And lurked there in the club. Where were the wide-
Eyed Gods that splatting, banging moment when
Mateem began to shoot self hate through guns,
His handgun and the AR-15 full
Of carnage? He was killing others’ sons
And daughters every time he gave a pull
On triggers, but the Gods, they didn’t care.
Perhaps one God (or more) gave him the dare.