Gunfire as a Stressor

Studies show the sound of gunfire is stressful; I agree.
Just down the hall from me, automatic weapons punctuate
the peace I'm almost sure would be the atmosphere
were it not for resident zombie apocalypse there.
And it's make-believe.
A few miles north,
the neighbors hear staccato signals heralding the
bitter news: another son has fallen, and they'll look
away before they see who did it, so they won't
incur the gang's wrath too.
In hate-filled distant lands, it's everywhere
and all the time, no periodic truces, pre-arranging that at night,
they'll let the kids sleep quietly. We may complain
about a lot, but even when the stress is bad,
it's not as bad as that.
It's not the guns. I may not love them,
hang them on my wall, but I defend the right
of those who do. It's the shooting I mind.
The noise of it.
The blood that can't be
turned off as it can within the
set-up of my grandson's games.


(c) Ellen Gillette, 2013