Piker Press — Weekly Journal of Arts and Literature
April 27, 2026

Final Exam

"...And it's alright and it's okay..."

Final Exam

Take a gun to school
the new fucking golden rule
rule the fucking school

And it's alright
and it's okay

The Constitution
pledges allegiance to
this rule of blood
and bullets

A ballet of death
anyone can dance to
and fro from classroom
to graveyard your
final, final exam






More by Frederick Foote → More poetry → Full issue →
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1 Reader Comment
Patti Santucci
02/20/2018
07:14:35 PM
Who knew that someday we would be writing poems about school shootings; that the problem would be so commonplace there would be no need to reference a particular one? The golden rule, as Mr. Foote points out, has changed. The Constitution twisted; the word choice of ballet of death so profound - something once beautiful (that playground safety/innocence) now bloodied.
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