Too soon? No.
You must be scared—
Loss of self-righteousness,
Everyone judging you evil—
Reality of hate’s finality.
© 2025 Tristan Robert Lange. All rights reserved.
Tittu
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Author:
Tristan Robert Lange (
Offline) - Published: September 14th, 2025 00:49
- Comment from author about the poem: This acrostic is not written in sympathy for Tyler Robinson. Sympathy would imply I feel sorry for him, or that what he did should be softened. I don’t. He chose violence, and he must live with its consequences. What I do offer is empathy: the human act of stepping into another’s shoes, even when those shoes walk a path I reject. I can feel what it is to be terrified, to sense the collapse of certainty, to face the judgment of the world and of one’s own conscience. That is not condoning. That is not absolution. That is recognition of our shared humanity, even at its most horrifying. Poetry is not meant to let readers off the hook. This piece doesn’t excuse Tyler, and it doesn’t soothe the reader. It simply insists that empathy, something Charlie Kirk himself saw as a weakness, and consequence can exist side by side.
- Category: Reflection
- Views: 32
- Users favorite of this poem: Vogelfrei, Teddy.15, sorenbarrett, Salvia.S
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Comments7
he did what so many have done on the right side of politics, I don't condone violence either, and it's incredibly sad that a straight A student felt the need to do this, he wasn't even wearing disguise when he did it, maybe he himself knew how wrong he was, but it does show the very darkness of American politics and what it has come too, a great divide of two sides. For some Taylor will be a hero who stood up to Trump and his Corrupt team, who handle illegal immigrants including the children like they are dogs in the gutter, some even in cages? or that is what the media shows in Europe. Others will see Taylor as the worst person on earth. I feel Sorry that a young man who was truly smart has ruined his life for trite politics. ❤️
Teddy, I really value the honesty in this. The divide is for real, the politics really ugly, and in the middle of it all a young man’s life is wrecked, another's dead, and families shattered...all the while the division grows and we know who will use this to foment more fear and division. That sadness...that tragedy you highlight hits and it should. Thank you again, for sharing, my dear friend. Right there with you. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
All that's needed is if a certain person changed that dodgy - wig, or rug on their head? If only it was that simple!
Not now Popeye, though you always want a look-in! lol.
It's true. It's stapled on so excessively, not even Popeye (there he is again) could pull it off, nor could Obi trick dodgy hair dude's hair of his dodgy head. And yeah...shh...Popeye, you had your turn. We have to wait for Tom and the...don't finish that! 🤣
How Popeye and Trump are related, I do not know! lol.
Really liked your commentary, Tristan. Below does not contradict your very humane analysis but are random thoughts which sprung up during my read.
Evil? depends on the circumstances. Depends who decides it is legitimate to kill another human being when and how. (Wars – always legitimate or not?)
I’ve always rejected the death penalty - which is very likely to be Tyler’s ultimate price.
He didn’t plan his exit strategy very well given he must have realized that his parents might turn him in.
Charlie Kirk died in perfect conformity with his aggressive beliefs surrounding the Second Amendment.
Hard to tell if this is a one off event or the start of multiple political assassinations. History does not give us much guidance or reassurance.………
Dave, I too abhor and reject the death penalty. You’re right—pushing for it here will only create more victims. It won’t bring the dead back or give true closure. And I see the rife irony as well. Yes, he died in a way he felt was "necessary" for the Second Amendment. That sounds great until you're the recipient of said necessary death. So, yes, I get the irony for sure. I also agree that it is very hard to tell where this all goes from here. Thank you so much for your time and thoughts, my friend. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
When you get going on social issues Tristan you really get going. Like this questioning very much.
There's the issue of who or what has the right to take another human's life opening up again further down the page and deserves a separate dialogue. Not sure I'm going to start it right now......
In these few words lies volumes of deeper understanding. I am glad for the author's note that gives a key to those interested enough to think about the issue. We are quick to judge from our shoes never having stood in another's and that goes from the other side as well. Too much focus on guns and not on the fingers that pull the triggers. But then no one is interested in understanding either the motives or the consequences. A very thought provoking poem Tristan a fave
Soren, I value your words. The focus on the hand behind the gun, the reminder about judgment from our own shoes...yes, that’s the heart of it. Thank you for catching it, for your time, and your engagement. Always a blessing to have you here! 🌹🖤🙏🕯️
Thank you so much Tristan it is people like you and a few others that makes this site worth the staying.
This acrostic lands like a clenched jaw; brief, sharp, and unwilling to flinch. In light of your note, its power comes from the tension you hold between condemnation and recognition: you refuse to soften the act or the harm, yet you also refuse to strip away the perpetrator’s humanity. That choice makes the piece unsettling in the best way, because it forces the reader to inhabit a space where empathy and accountability are not opposites but co‑existing truths. The spareness of the lines mirrors the stripped‑down reality you’re pointing to: fear, judgment, and the irrevocable weight of consequence. It’s not a poem that lets anyone off the hook, least of all the reader.
Arqios, I value this deeply. You’ve put into words what I hoped the note would open up. Empathy and consequence aren’t opposites, and I’m grateful you named that truth. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛ Thanks again!
Most welcome Tittu🕊️🙏🏻
This poem serves as a vehicle for challenging readers to confront uncomfortable truths about human behavior and the complexities of our emotional landscapes. One can feel empathy for an individual's emotional struggles without condoning or excusing their actions, highlighting the coexistence of empathy and accountability. We can all rationalize our beliefs, but the fundamental fact remains that he was wrong to take someone's life. No individual possesses the right to take the life of another human being. We may concur or disagree, but the fundamental fact remains that he was wrong; he took the life of a human being.
Friendship, I’m grateful for your words. You nailed the heart of it...empathy does not excuse..it understands, accountability must remain, and no one has the right to take another’s life. That’s the truth of it! Thank you for your time and support as always, my friend!🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛
Dearest Teddy, this is tender and tragic…the longing of distant love entwined with poetry itself. That line...“knowing our hands will never touch, but you are deep within me”...really struck me, and that closing vow to “die unsung” lingers painfully. It’s simple, but it carries a heartbreaking truth. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦⬛ And beautiful picture, my friend! Love the Dante quote too!
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