statistically speaking

every so often they flood us with statistics 38,000 a year 150 a day. 1 every 15 minutes. faceless numbers do we forget that she had friends and a family and a future or that he had talent and a lover and a career? do we forget she once had a bedtime before 8:00 and slept in pink princess-themed sheets or how he used to hold his teddy bear and couldn't fall asleep without a nightlight? do we forget those who were left behind forever left wondering why? what could i have done? could i have seen the signs? when was the last time? i said, "i love you. and not just who you are. who you have been. and who you will be"? do we forget that the "will be" that haunts every mothers prayers are now just two empty words? do we lose identities in these 38,000 150 1/15? maybe what we need isn't numbers math arithmetic what we need is human empathy