A poem by A. Glover 

5 minutes

In 5 minutes, our village lay shattered

Gripped in misery, broken, and strained

A high school reeling from the damage it sustained.

For 5 minutes, the despair was consuming

Prayers took over, faith and hope remained

Knowing the lives of children will forever be changed.

In 5 minutes, all their smiles were lost

Family’s hearts broken in two

Oxford, Our hearts break with you

In 5 minutes, our communities entangled as one

Bravery thrived and courage prevailed.

Impeding the darkness and the light exhaled.

For 5 minutes, we felt this devastation as one.
We were them; they were we.

Together we stood, and united with many.

Forever, we are parents, we are neighbors, we are family.

We are you; you are us.

We walk together no matter how strenuous.

Now, our pieces are brittle, and the silence is deafening.

Together we will build with the pieces that stand.

Together, no boundaries, with you, hand in hand.

Soon enough, Oxford will grow, a village no more.

Boundaries removed, growth through our pain.

Remaining together, in honor of those taken in vain.

It won’t take 5 minutes but we will rise and we will heal

Together as a community, as a city, as a state, and as a nation,

We are OXFORD, we will heal and will stand STRONG as an aspiration.

OXFORD STRONG