Poem: Somewhere

Poem: Somewhere

Somewhere

Somewhere, a man woman or child carries a rifle

bazooka mortar handgun machine gun gleaming rifle

Insaned by death any death is a prize for death

Living in fear fear travels in all directions

No-one safe, for safety is a prize too precious

Peace the prize that brings death to death

And always reprisals are savage

Illogical, sudden, virulent, provoking, without forgiveness

And a small gun is a temptation

Justifying

The flesh and bones that hang from

A trembling heart.


This small gun is tiny, doesn't count,

Fits into a palm so well, almost not there.

Playing out slow-mo this mate, this

friendly, small so small handgun redeems the day

And the flesh and bones that hang quivering

Triumph over fear

bazooka mortar handgun

I fire again and again

Absolved

My fantasy temptation that revenges, protects, rescues

Everything

Except solemn truth.


At the moment of judgment,

A tunnel of metal points at me.

The dream says

Pray peace, or die in fear

Love ricochets across hearts in invisible ways

Breathe in, breathe out:

Hardest thought in the turning of doubt,

Death's deadly enemy —

Our steady breath of love.

Adrian Stevens

From GLW issue 253