With the increasing amount of violence seen around the world over the years, over the past few months, people seem to be running into the unavoidable question of “what do we do now?” And there is never one true answer for this, for an event of such magnitude that can make an entire world of people feel something. There is no easy fix, there never is for tragedy. But it does bring up a crucial point I mention in my book, a small feature here from my poem, Tragedies. “Tragedies only seem to be tragic when the world hears about them.” Because so many events that people consider tragic end up in the media before most have time to process it.

But what about the things that don’t get publicized, the loss and suffering that isn’t considered a shot heard around the world? What about the things people keep more hidden, more quiet… What about those? Because sometimes it may seem like the world is hurting due to the multitude of people effected by one event, but if something happens on a much smaller scale, does it hurt any less? There is so much in the world around us that happens behind closed doors, behind a child’s tears that are not allowed to fall and the cry of a mother who is not allowed to make a sound. Maybe growing up means understanding the magnitude of what happens around us, but maybe it is also paying attention to the smaller things others do not seem to see. Because in the end, I must ask this question: If a tragedy happens and no one is around to talk about it, no matter how large or how devastating it might be, did it still happen?