Five days after
a mob storms the Capitol Building
wielding Confederate flags, hate banners,
weapons and slurs and profanity,
cheers that bring chills to the bone,
my daughter’s boyfriend invites her
to a gun show. A couple hours away.
My daughter is twenty years old.
She is mine, but
Her mind is her own.
I can’t shelter her from the news
from headlines, articles
rants on Facebook and Twitter
video of a police officer being beaten
to death
by an American flag.
Can I keep her from an arena
with table after table of guns?
And a boy who will pick one up,
feel the weight in his palm,
maybe hold it outstretched to
sight down the length of a barrel.
Picture his prey.
Imagine squeezing the trigger.
A boy who thinks this is
a proper date.
For my girl.
I say no.
Just in case.
She listens.
Smiles.
Says she already told him
No.
Kathie Giorgio is the critically acclaimed author of five novels, two story collections, three poetry books, and a collection of essays. A sixth novel will be released on 11/21. A fourth poetry book will be released on 8/22. She is the director/founder of AllWriters’ Workplace & Workshop creative writing studio.
