A Name on A List by Avery Lansman
An image I can’t get out of my head
He lays outside his sisters door
Which she’ll never walk through again
I’ll never be able to forget myself saying,
Doesn't this happen often?
I am not a victim or a survivor, i am just a witness
Everyone is a witness
Firsthand or secondhand, it doesn’t matter
Either way, we will make you see our pain
We’ll shove our mourning in your face
Until you get behind us and march for change
We said never again, made it our motto
Chanted, as if lives depended on it, because they did
It only took three months for it to happen again
And again and again and again
I guess we’re living the modern American dream
This is clearly what they wanted, right?
If they actually cared, it wouldn’t be like this
Pro-life should start with those who are actually alive
Peoples friends, classmates, teammates, siblings
You realize, he doesn’t even deserve to rot in jail
They said he wouldn’t last long either way, but here we are
He’ll never get half of what he deserves
It’s a lesson in dignity and atonement
It’s a fatal sentence for future generations
It’s waiting for the good that won’t come out of it
It’s moving on and also somehow getting heavier
It’s a cruel world, and part of me wishes he took me out right then
Let me be another name on a list, spare me, for fuck’s sake.
Avery Lansman is a 19-year-old writer from Florida, currently pursuing a Bachelor
of Fine Arts in Writing at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. With a strong voice
and a sharp eye for detail, she crafts work that spans screenplays, short fiction, and
poetry. Avery’s writing explores emotional nuance, interpersonal dynamics, and the
surreal moments woven into everyday life. Whether she’s constructing vivid cinematic
worlds or capturing quiet, intimate truths on the page, her work reflects a deep curiosity
and commitment to storytelling across forms. She is part of a new generation of writers
redefining what it means to tell a story.
