Matthew Shepard Of Wyoming



Twenty-one years old,
or, I should say young,
with the fair coloring
and grace of a
trumpeting swan,
youth of intellect
and blameless
goodness.

He attended a LGBTQ
meeting on the campus
of the University of
Wyoming on
October 6, 1998.
Afterwards he dropped
by the Fireside Bar
for a drink.

Two malevolent men
lured him from the bar,
they tortured the youth
of the peaceful presence.
They left him to die on a
deer-proofing fence
near a rural roadside.
Hours later a cyclist
who at first thought
Matthew was a scarecrow,
then recognized him,
he, Matthew of an
angelic face,
the swan,
the delicate swan,
tear tracks streamed
on his cheeks.

After a six day coma
in the hospital,
Matthew of this sad
earth passed away,
candlelight vigils
glowed the world
over,
hate crime legislation
across the U.S. was
born.
Matthew, a citizen of
global humanity,
murdered for simply
being gay.
Love and Hope lying
bereft, bleeding still.

Matthew's angels
still console the
tearful hearts of light,
neverending. ~

About this poem

This true story poem is about a tragic hate crime.

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Written on March 16, 2023

Submitted by on March 15, 2023

Modified on April 18, 2023

1:00 min read
55

Quick analysis:

Scheme XABCDXEE AEFDGXHX XHXXCXXXXXXXXDDXX CXXIJXGXXXFKKIBX JCXA
Closest metre Iambic dimeter
Characters 1,000
Words 200
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 8, 8, 17, 16, 4

Regina Elliott

Regina Elliott is sixty-five and resides in North Carolina. She was a 2020 Pushcart Prize nominee. more…

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    "Matthew Shepard Of Wyoming" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/156161/matthew-shepard-of-wyoming>.

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