[Carl Copeland]

You’re certainly a good verse storyteller, Glenn. A few thoughts:

With all the recent talk about telliness, I suppose I should note “joyless,” which announces a minor key before we hear the first chords. As if you’d titled the poem “School Suicide,” rather than the wonderful “Still Life with Flowers.”

“He didn’t mention …” Is the implication that suicides don’t deserve tributes? Is this a strict religious school, and do they go that far?

You need a comma before “unconsoled.”

The interlocking rhymes are high difficulty and skillfully done. The only one that seems forced is “self-slaughter,” which is clever, but doesn’t fit easily in the woman’s mouth. I think you should find another quintuple rhyme (just kidding!).

The mother’s image as strong and stoical is cracked at the end when she puts the blame on the principal. We know that he’s callous, but it was probably more complicated than that.