Editor’s note: The poem below was written by Kathleen Campbell and submitted in memory of Meri Nalbandyan, who was killed in the crosswalk between Hoover High School and Toll Middle School two years ago today.
MERI’S WALK
Meri’s walk, Meri’s walk, I feel her presence though she doesn’t talk. Her voice was silenced way too soon. In the morning before an afternoon of pure distress and tragedy for children witnessing calamity.
Parents distracted on their way to work. Get the kids on time so we choose to jerk around cars in our way and take a chance that we won’t cause damage or circumstance that cannot be erased and shouldn’t be.
Meri’s walk was built for you and me to have a path of security from one side of the street to the other. You can hold hands with your brother. But the rules and the guards have a reason to be a protector of you and of Meri.
She can see how we zip and spin through a life too precious not be present in.
Meri’s walk, Meri’s walk, asks us to slow down and don’t just talk about the days events or celebrity, stop look and listen, treasure safety.
Life is precious so plan ahead so no other pedestrian ends up dead.