“Come here, my child, it’s time to buy some kid-sized body armor.
The stores are running out of stock, soon every size will be on back order.”
“No, Mom, no! Don’t buy that thing! Don’t bring it within a mile.
That Kevlar suit is hot and tight, it really cramps my style!
I will not put it on before I go out into the world.”
Then to drive her point home, she turned around and flipped the bird.
“At the least you must remember!” I said, “to crouch, shush, and hide!
Please never forget all the children who have died.”
But she rolled her eyes and said to me, “Mom! Don’t be such a Quaker!
Today is not the day when I will meet my Maker!”
In frustration, I yelled, “That’s what kids at Umpqua said! And Columbine and New Town!”
To which she scratched her head and said with squinted eyes and frown,
“But wait, what do you mean? We haven’t fixed the constitution?
I thought you said it’s been fixed before, to end slavery and prohibition!”
“It’s been fixed before, it’s true, but today our legislature can’t agree.
Their actions are stalled by groups that sponsor their political party.”
“Which party do you belong to, Mom?” she asked and cocked her head.
I paused before I could answer, and then I finally said,
“Here is the thing to know, my sweet, my affiliation doesn’t matter,
Because of YOU I belong to the party of tiny feet that pitter patter.
My party’s the color of bike helmets,
It tastes of mac n cheese,
It reaks of cleats and muddy socks,
Feels of eyelashes blinking against my knees.
“I drive you to soccer, swim team, baseball, and gymnastics!
I’d never heat your (gluten free) food in any kind of plastics!
I wrap my babies’ chubby buns in biodegradable diapers,
But now it’s too easy for you to get shot by some demented snipers!”
“You sound so angry, Mom, I think you might need a sedative.”
“No, I don’t! I need to talk to my senators and representative!
The time to act is NOW so here is what I plan to say,
‘Stop playing the role of battered spouse and break up with the NRA!
‘If more guns meant we were safer, we’d be the safest country on the planet.
Since that’s clearly not the case it’s time to say ENOUGH! NOW WE MUST BAN IT!
“’Get to work, lawmakers. No excuses! No delay!
There are 85 million voting moms here in the USA.
You must Amend! It’s time to Pass! Please change our children’s fate.
Embody the reason that our nation is great.
“’Turn your back on gun lobbyists, no ifs, whens, or maybes.
Hurry now! Act quickly, before someone shoots our babies.
Go fix what is broken, we will no longer carry on and keep calm.
Do your job, control the guns, because next year I’m voting like a mom.
In case you didn’t hear me, I’ll repeat it sans aplomb,
DO YOUR JOB LIKE A BOSS ‘CAUSE IN ‘16 I’M VOTING LIKE A MOM.