Pulse Reflections by David Durkee

49 Times

Miami Poet's Tribute to Lives Lost

Guest post by David Durkee

​"This poem is dedicated to the 49 people who senselessly lost their lives at the Pulse nightclub on June 12, 2016, in Orlando Florida. I was sitting by myself when I first heard the news about the shooting. I immediately wrote what I felt. The fear of those who died. The sadness and hate.


It still breaks my heart to think that we do things like this to each other. Love > Hate. In my opinion, this was a hate crime against the LGBT community. Hate can kill, but love will survive." David Durkee

49 Times

Huddled in a bathroom,
Frozen in fear;
The wolf comes a’hunting,
Hate coming near.


The disco lights still shining,
Right outside the door;
Trying hard to disguise,
The carnage and the gore.


Ironic in a bathroom,
You wanted my kind out;
All we wanted was protection,
Isn’t that what America is all about?


BAM, BAM, BAM 
I hear it once again.
God, please stop it,
No more hate, no more pain.


BAM, BAM, BAM 
It almost sounds like a bass.
Funny how it ended,
Johnny shot right in the face.


Blood it is scattered,
Across my shirt;
My heart, it is racing,
How many are hurt?


I wonder if this is war,
Independence we will say!
Life, liberty . . .
and the pursuit of being gay.


Why would your God hate me?
Why would he tell you to kill?
Maybe you’re just crazy,
Maybe fix it with a pill.


BAM, BAM, BAM


Pulse was alive,
All the color and glam;
Tell my mother I love her;
She accepted who I am;


BAM, BAM, BAM
Please make it stop!
My heart it is broken;
My tears just drop.


The rainbow continues;
The light shines through;


49 times brighter...
Piercing the red, white, and blue.
49 times stronger,
From Stonewall we began.
49 times prouder,
We’re all part of the plan.


God, please forgive them,
They know now what they do;


49 times longer,
We will continue.

---

​C. David Durkee is a writer, actor, songwriter, and performer. As the Broken Poet, David’s pen name, he began performing spoken word pieces and songs as a live performer for the past ten years. As a live performer, he has been invited to perform in major venues across south Florida like the Hard Rock Hotel in Hollywood and the legendary Churchill’s in North Miami.


In 2018, David published his first book Broken Poet, a Book of Lyrics, a collection of lyrics, poems, and short stories. In 2020, his poem “Christmas Eve” was awarded first prize in LEK’s Entertainment Cooped Up Christmas Creator’s Contest. In the Summer of 2021, he performed his story “Miracle” at the Palm Beach Institute for the Entertainment Arts for The Day That Changed My Life production. David also has released two records under the pen name Broken Poet, Man in the Mask and One Moment in Time. For these albums he wrote all of the lyrics and performed the lead vocals. In 2017, Broken Poet performed at Buskerfest, a Miami music festival, and was selected as the “Fan Favorite” by event goers. As an actor, C. David Durkee, recently appeared in a supporting role in the short film, Being, the 2019 winner of the Martha’s Vineyard International Film Festival. He also performed in the theater starring as Bo Conway, one of the lead characters, in the play Insects and Giants, which was produced by Theatre South and was performed at the Lou Rawls Center for the Performing Arts. Recently, his poem “Christmas Eve” was adapted into a play and was performed by Theatre South. Finally, David is currently starring as Special Agent O’Malley in the YouTube series Slimey.