A 13 year old girl watches the news and the footage of crying mothers will stay with her forever.
A 14 year old boy hears the words "hate hate hate" and stifles the part of him that just wants love, love, love.
The 15 year old girlfriends are afraid to hold hands at school the next day, but every time they brush up against each other it's a whisper of "you are not alone".
The 16 year old boyfriends skip school and sit in a deserted park and talk about the future they're worried they won't have.
The 17 year old girl bites her tongue when someone calls her a boy, because everywhere around her are reminders that she's not safe.
An 18 year old girl can't express her pain in front of her family, so she sneaks away to a candlelight vigil, and when she starts crying she is comforted by a much older woman who has been to so many of these she's lost count.
Throughout the world, "it could have been me", "it could have been us" is whispered behind closed doors.
Throughout the world, "It could have been stopped!" is shouted into megaphones.
Throughout the world, "We deserve better!" is cried out in despair.
- Julia Gorst
