Never Again

SMATBB div. a cappella
6:56 approx.

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In the wake of the shooting. in Uvalde, Texas, National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman wrote: “May we not just grieve, but give: May we not just ache, but act” in her poem Hymn for the Hurting. This call to action is the inspiration behind Never Again, a commentary about the true cost of freedom in a country where the intersection of politics, capitalism, and gun lobbies stand in the way of sensible legislation.

Never Again was commissioned by Seattle Pro Musica – Karen P. Thomas, Artistic Director. The world premiere was given in Seattle on February 11, 2023.

         Sister’s backpack came home without her.

        We may never speak again.

Not enough amendments to mend a broken heart;
A country ripped apart by freedoms, begging
For control, controlled by weapons In the shape of men, pens poised
To write another future, hearts poisoned
To the thought of change.

         Sister’s backpack came home without her.
         Again we speak: never again.

If there is power in pain, let us build
A monument beyond our founding,
Life and liberty on the same line,
a line in the sand between just enough
& justice, & we have had enough, Not enough amendments to mend a broken heart;
A country ripped apart by freedoms

         Sister’s backpack came home without her.
         We may never speak again.

-Brian Sonia-Wallace