M. Brett Gaffney
USA

M. Brett Gaffney holds an MFA from Southern Illinois University and works as Associate Editor for Gingerbread House Literary Magazine. Her poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Exit 7, Penduline, Still: The Journal, REAL, Permafrost, BlazeVOX, and Zone 3 among others. She works at the Dent School House in Cincinnati during the haunting season, but celebrates Halloween year round.  

The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora


The parking lot 

a kaleidoscope 

of lights and blood, 

sobs like shuffled gravel. 


A little boy 

dressed as Batman 

holds tight to his father’s hand, 

black cape 

like slick wings.


I wonder if he understands

what’s happened

at the movies tonight,

whether he knows 

someone miles away

will see him 

on the news 

and place hope

in a boy believing

in heroes so late

into this night,


if later he’ll lie in bed

and think of how 

sheets are good 

for covering things,

if he’ll keep his mask

on while he sleeps

and dreams 

of how he wants

the story to end.

 

 

 

Page 2

 

© Copyright, 2015, M. Brett Gaffney .
All rights reserved.