Boy Shooting at a Statue by Billy Collins
It was late afternoon,
the beginning of winter, a light snow,
and I was the only one in the small park
to witness the lone boy running
in circles around the base of a bronze statue.
I could not read the carved name
of the statesman who loomed above,
one hand on his cold hip,
but as the boy ran, head down
he would point a finger at the statue
and pull an imaginary trigger
imitating the sounds of rapid gunfire.
Evening thickened, the mercury sank,
but the boy kept running in the circle
of his footprints in the snow
shooting blindly into the air.
History will never find a way to end,
I thought, as I left the park by the north gate
and walked slowly home
returning to the station of my desk
where the sheets of paper I wrote on
were like pieces of glass
through which I could see
hundreds of dark birds circling in the sky below.
Collins, Billy. "Boy Shooting at a Statue". Bullets into Bells: Poets and Citizens Respond to Gun Violence, Beacon Press, 2017.
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From raising two sons, I know that pretend gun play may be part and parcel of being male. Justin once chewed his toast into the shape of a gun, and he used a banana when we took away a toy gun because he was pointing it at his brother. John and I taught them both that you never, ever point a gun at a person, and I wish that was a lesson that everyone could learn.
I wish you mindfulness, good health, peace, freedom from gun violence, and poetry as the week winds down.
Thank you. I just have no other words for this right now.
ReplyDeletePoetry is a balm for our wounded souls... I am just so astoundingly angry that something supported by 90% of the citizens here (expanded background checks) is something that every elected member of congress can't get behind. (and I had 2 girls and a boy and there were weapons and "shooting" in my house too... sigh.)
ReplyDeleteI honestly will never understand the cult of guns. I know there are people who use them to hunt for food, and I know that sometimes they are needed in defense, but what possible use is an assault weapon? Why is it harder to vote or get a driver's license than to get a gun? Every time there is a mass shooting, I think, This time it will be too much senseless loss and people will change their minds. But after Sandy Hook, honestly I don't think anything will change some people's minds.
ReplyDeleteI hate to tell you this but girls do "gun play" too. Learning that people are valuable and shooting at living things is not good is more important than banning "gun play." Banning assault weapons is a great thing. Children's play is an opportunity for learning, not for banning.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any experience with girls, but I was surprised at the extent that my sons would go to to craft pretend guns. The loss is so senseless and so big that I truly do wish we could ban assault weapons.
DeleteThank you, Bonny. I so appreciate your thoughtful approach to this very disturbing topic. My own son used to live just blocks from that very King Soopers. He shopped there. But . . . we all shop somewhere. And, sadly, this could happen anywhere, anytime in our country. Billy Collins, as he does, brings just the right words for what we feel. XO
ReplyDeleteThis has been a rough week for sure. That King Sooper is where my brother and his family shop. Thankfully they are all ok, but one of the victims is/was a friend/acquaintance of my SIL. Just senseless and very frightening.
ReplyDeleteWhat a thoughtful post, Bonny. Much needed, I think. We have banned assault weapons before, and I say before in reference to the NRA and their very effective propaganda campaign. It seems that our "representatives" don't actually represent us anymore, and I think people should be enraged by that, but most of them aren't paying any attention to the fact that money has totally taken over politics. And they don't try to be informed about facts rather than propaganda. It is very daunting. I hope Ryan will find that he feels safer with time. It is necessary illusion. I don't grocery shop anymore. I just order online and pick it up, but I miss browsing around in a store like I did before the pandemic.
ReplyDeleteAstounding that our country is the poster child for gun violence. And that our government just won't do anything about it. Someone else was just apprehended this morning I saw with a boat load of guns - thank God they were caught. xoxo
ReplyDeletePerfect words for these trying, so terrible times. Peace for Ryan, his dad and brother, you and all of us.
ReplyDeleteThis is a lovely post, Bonny, thank you. I was heartened to see that Georgia's Legislature is moving to enact a 5-day waiting period for the purchase of handgun(?) ... TBD if it will get passed, or signed, but still. it seems like a hopeful step.
ReplyDeletethank you for the poem share. Because of you, I get a poem a day sent to my inbox by the poetry foundation, I love it. This week was a sad week.
ReplyDeleteI to had boys that I tried to teach to be cautious when playing, still there were nerf guns at our house, but nothing that looked real. It is yet another horrible gun tragedy in our country. I will send positive thoughts to your son as he is so near where this horrible event happened.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awful week - again. I have read some thoughtful oped's about gun regulations. What we need is government will and legislation. I'm holding a good thought for Ryan and all of you.
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