If Everyone Has A Gun

If everyone has a gun
then does that mean
everyone will die? Does
that mean everyone 
will develop hate, an
attitude, discontent

about all of their, our
neighbors?

If everyone has a gun
then that means we
all are living in fear, we
don't trust one another,
we do not see our neighbors
as our sisters or as our brothers

If everyone has a gun 
then where is peace?
Who knows peace? How
will we develop peace?

The violence will increase;
we turn into savages, beasts:
we know not ways to cease or
seek spaces or silence 

so we can stop the violence.

If everyone has a gun
then must everyone run,
hide, shake, tremble, sweat,
sob, be sad, mad, take lives,
take away hope, futures, 
dreams?

If everyone has a gun
then ultimately we all
are in danger, we all will
live in fear

and year after year
we are searching for 
answers, for solutions,
contributions to gun
control

while all the while the
gun lobby has a hold on
real change. 

Pain continues to find us,
remind us of the hurt guns,
bullets, and the lack of mental
health programs we need

all over the country, all over
the world. Tragedy unfurls at
elementary schools, colleges,
universities, grocery stores, 
train stations

We are a nation declining in
numbers because everyone has
a gun.