Don’t Ask Me

Don’t ask me why I didn’t run — against
my cheek a silver gun. My sister’s sobs
are all I hear, another gun inside
that fear. Momentum only breaths and throbs.

Don’t ask me why I got inside — a life
at stake that isn’t mine. A gunpoint push
becomes a backseat crawl. Regret is rife.
All else becomes so small, huddled hush.

Don’t think you know why I complied. The swing
of metal, taste of blood. His chide: “you’ll die.”
Don’t question me at 25, the things
I did to stay alive — and I survived.

Unless you’ve faced the darkness and a gun,
don’t tell me what you think I should have done.

Photo Credit: kostyavacuum Flickr via Compfight cc

Written by 

Kristin Garth is a poet from Pensacola, Florida. She is a knee sock aficionado and a sonnet stalker. Her sonnets have stalked the pages of Luna Luna, Occulum, Anti-Heroin Chic, Ghost City Review, Drunk Monkeys, TERSE, Journal and many other publications. Her chapbook Pink Plastic House is available through maverickduckpress.com

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *