weapons aren’t just blades, knives and swords
they’re eyes that throw glances
sharp enough to cut through your ego

make you think of the ruins you’ve created

weapons are words we don’t swallow
that we allow to come up
through the broken and cracked pipes
that might burst with emotion

weapons are moving towards
uninhabitable lands filled with toxins
designed to kill the human spirit

let the bullets stay in their barrel

impress me with a song
that fills generations with sorrowful thought

show me how to weaponize
freedom
into a
revolution

what is a dream
when breath is unmanageable

the boot you told me to pick myself up by
is crushing my neck

the intricate imprints of the tread
paint my skin in hues of red

i guess it’s just
something to remember you by

a love letter from a nation

– Alexis Raymond