latch

an old door with a new, small latch,
the delusion of security
under the ugly of reality—
such is life.
if you sit behind a door, afraid,
he’s already in there with you.
just buy a gun and be done with it!

Some poems surprise the heck out of me. This is one of them. That last line popped out on me exactly as it is written above; and as surprising at the time as it was, it also felt exactly and perfectly right.

Believe me, I am no gun toting, “a pistol in every hand and an AK-47 backup in your underwear” supporter. I loathe all guns of all types and all eras—pistols, rifles and phasers—almost as much as I loathe the violence prone society that we have become and from whence such implements of destruction come.

And yet there it is: just buy a gun and be done with it!

My point is, don’t be a victim. Be realistic. Fearing for your safety and security in domestic disputes is an ugly reality, one that all too many women, children, men (yes, men) and elders live with. But putting a small latch on an old door frame does not buy you any security, it just ruins the door (another ugly reality) and gives you the delusion of security. Any decent sized guy who has decided to come through an old door in a rage will not be stopped by four small screws on a small latch. If you really live in fear, then be realistically and fully committed to a workable self protection plan. And whatever that plan is, be ready with it, be ready to implement it, implement it when it is necessary to do so and don’t look back afterwards with any regrets.

That is what not being a victim is all about. I hope.

But when all that justification is said and done, this is what worries me: I’m frustrated, I know; I’m frustrated with violence and evil. But does that last line of the poem mean I have become my enemy?

Thank you for reading latch. I sincerely hope you have enjoyed it and I humbly appreciate your visiting the Book of Pain. As always, I look forward to your comments.

john

© 2013 by John Etheridge; all rights reserved. This poem, either alone or with the notes that accompany it, may be printed and distributed—in part or amalgamated with other works—as long as the copyright notice and the address, http://bookofpain.wordpress.com, are also clearly printed with it and there is no fee charged.