Poem From Parkland: “None of this is Normal”

02.28.18
Poem From Parkland: “None of this is Normal” (Photo: Roxy Foxfire)
Jenna Harris is 15 years old and in 10th grade at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

None of this is Normal.

I haven’t written about it yet
Maybe because writing was one of the things that felt
normal to me
But nothing about this feels normal

Seeing my classmates on the news
Being asked for interviews
Having celebrities tweet my town’s name
None of it feels normal

While in the closet
My body shook uncontrollably
I held the hands of my friends
And tried to hold in my tears
Because I didn’t want to think about who wouldn’t see their
loved ones these following years

My heart is racing
My insides are aching
I’m angry
I’m sad
But I am grateful that I am alive
And hungry for change
And for my school, for my community I’m filled with so much
pride

None of this feels normal
But with a broken heart, I know all of this is true
And for each angel that was brutally ripped from us
Everything from now on is for you

-Jenna Harris

 Photo courtesy of Renée Harris
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