STOP GUN VIOLENCE

Protect Kids, Not Guns

A poem about gun violence

Gill McCulloch
ILLUMINATION
Published in
2 min readMay 30, 2022

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A person wearing a black jacket at a protest march, holds a sign reading “Protect kids, not guns.”
Photo by Tim Mudd on Unsplash

The murder of children haunts everyone’s dreams
With nightmarish echoes of preschoolers’ screams
Parents bent double on their knees at school gates
Hands over eyes enduring heartbreaking waits

The wailing of sirens and sisters and brothers
And aunties and uncles, grandparents and others
Red flashing lights and uniforms all around
Mean only bad news on a foredoomed schoolground

There are so many questions to ask and to answer
Why is there so much desperation and anger?
Why not give people mental health care they need?
Why are some drug companies so full of greed?

Medical care is a luxury for many
They reach the weekend with nothing but pennies
Put food on the table or take care of health
Is the choice people face with no comfort of wealth

But why target children with hope in their eyes?
And sweet, loving hearts full of joy and blue skies?
Why kill young school kids just starting their lives?
There are no good outcomes when a little one dies

Our schools should be places of learning and caring
Exploration, discovery and kindness and sharing
Schools should be safe zones for everyone in them
Not a battleground for violence or vengeance or gunmen

Traumatized teachers try to keep fear at bay
With morning anxiety — could it happen today?
Turning schools into prisons for our daughters and sons
Is no more a solution than teachers with guns

Sending kind thoughts and prayers will never suffice
For victims of violence and the consequence of vice
For those feeling helpless, there is power in your vote
Don’t let the guilt of inaction get stuck in your throat

Why do we tolerate a world full of guns?
Fact: shootings don’t happen when people have none.

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Poetry by Gill McCulloch

19 stories
Three-green and blue stripy beach chairs on a pebbled beach with glittering waves in the background and a seagull flying by.
Heart-shaped white cloud against a blue sky.
Sandy beach at sunrise. Gentle waves lapping at the shore against a backdrop of clouds

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Gill McCulloch
ILLUMINATION

I write about subjects and events that move me deeply and situations that make me laugh. Founder, Safe + Sound First Aid Training Ltd. gillnmcculloch@gmail.com