America is a Gun — A poem

With thanks to June Maffin I am pleased to share an insightful poem by Brian Bilston. June writes: “I believe that living in the US these days is ‘Freedom with a Trigger.’ … ‘Justice in a Holster’ … ‘The Pulled Vote, Not the Cast Vote.’ Thank you, Brian Bilston. Your words in your “America is a gun” poem are direct, succinct and spot on. Tragically.”

While the poem is making many people reflect on the US’ obsessive gun culture, especially now as the spate of school murders continues to grow, Bilston originally wrote it after Jeb Bush tweeted a picture of his handgun, along with the caption “America.”

In all seriousness, trigger warning ahead.

America is a Gun

England is a cup of tea.
France, a wheel of ripened brie.
Greece, a short, squat olive tree.
America is a gun.

Brazil is football on the sand.
Argentina, Maradona’s hand.
Germany, an oompah band.
America is a gun.

Holland is a wooden shoe.
Hungary, a goulash stew.
Australia, a kangaroo.
America is a gun.

Japan is a thermal spring.
Scotland is a highland fling.
Oh, better to be anything
than America as a gun.

Brian Bilston

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