Richard wrote, saying: "Below you will find a copy of a poem written in honor of the victims of the Jonesboro Westside School tragedy that occured recently in Jonesboro, AR. Like most other residents of Jonesboro, I would have never dreamed that such a horrible event could occur in our quite little city. The shootings in Pearl, MS, Paducah, KY, and in Jonesboro, all quite communities located in the heart of the bible belt, should serve as a wake-up call to the rest of the world that a similar tragedy could happen anywhere, anytime. We, like the rest of our country and the world, are left with the question, 'Why?'....what could cause our children to gun each other down in our schools. As we search our hearts and souls for answers and solutions, it is my hope that we will remember God and pray for his guidance and direction and give thanks for the hope that our faith in God gives us."

WHY?
by Richard A. Jarrett Copyright, March 1998
Resident of Jonesboro, AR

A new day has dawned, unlike no other.
No cause for us to worry or bother.
Our children are safe as safe can be
in the schools of our community.

I'm looking forward to this day,
to look, learn, and play.
In early morn we watched our parents drive away
Then suddenly the fire alarm sounded, much to my dismay.

We've had this drill many times before,
so we just exited right through the door.
Oh my God, what is happening here?
My friends and playmates are falling, like wounded deer.

As fast as I can, I run;
for my life and friends, I fear---
Oh Dear God, please help us find our children;
surely not this horror, this terror, not here.

Overwhelming heartache and despair.
Our losses are just too great to bear.
The souls of our children, our country, helplessly cry
and we wonder, outloud, why?

An alarm has sounded for all of us,
precious lives and loved ones, desperately missed.
Natalie, Paige Ann, Stephanie, Brittany
Shannon, the ultimate loving sacrifice.

May their untimely wounds and deaths
not be a waste.
Be alert to our lessons of life
but not act in haste.

Let each one of us ask,
what are the meaning of these--
'One nation, under God,'and;
'In God We Trust'.
Is the answer so simple, that we simply cannot see?