Who Is Real Safe? Poem by Robert Williams

A loaded chamber, a promise whispered low,
Protection's shield, against an unseen foe.
But who's the villain in this loaded scene?
The shadowed figure, or the one who's preening?

Is it the wild beast, with teeth and hungry stare?
A threat from the outside, a reason to prepare?
Or law's iron hand, a force some may mistrust?
The neighbor next door, cloaked in sudden disgust?

The dealer's dark grin, the gangbanger's cold stare,
The ghost of a memory, a haunting nightmare.
Robbery or worse, a violation so raw,
Fear's festering echo, from dusk until the dawn.

But safety's a mirage, a shimmering deceit,
When every hand clutches a weapon, cold and complete.
A child's impulsive rage, a spouse's desperate plea,
A locked-out homecoming, a deadly lottery.

More guns, more fear, a tangled, twisted knot,
Freedom's promise tainted, by a single, deadly shot.
Neighborhoods tense, whispers turn to screams,
Disagreements turn lethal, fueled by fevered dreams.

Hunger's sharp bite, a world on the brink,
Civil war's fury, the very ink
That stains the fabric of a nation's soul,
Where 'armed and safe' becomes a tragic hole.

Lawless becomes law, the bad guys armed the same,
No righteous armor shields a heart filled with blame.
Registration's a whisper, taxes just a fee,
One moment's madness, and civility flees.

The safety we crave, a dream built on sand,
A single incident, a bullet in the hand.
The answer's not simple, the path we must tread,
Is paved with understanding, not weapons and dread.

...theBastardPoet...