[pax]

You picked out a weapon -- good! Now go train.
Go learn how to use it to hit where you aim.
Learn when you can shoot and when you must not,
Learn how to clear jams and make a fast shot.

But do not believe that your skill at arms
Means that you never again could face harm.
The world is still ugly, and your thousand yard stare
Might be unseen by the chump over there.
Don't fuss and don't quibble and don't worry about it.
Just carry your handgun. Don't leave home without it.

And when the battle comes down, as battles must do,
To a clash of the wills between the bad guy and you,
Your will must be stronger than the evil you face
The mere fact of the gun will not take its place.

Far more decisive than the caliber's name
Or the shape of the gun or the size of its frame
Is the knowledge and skill that choose point of aim.
(Misses with guns big and small are the same!)

The gun that you carry strapped firm to your side
Might hold some of your hope and all of your pride
But it isn't your weapon: the fire in your eyes
And the wiliest schemes your mind can devise
Are far more important than the brand of your gun,
And far more important than how fast you can run.

What carries the day when the battle is nigh,
Is the Will that refuses simply to give up and die --
The Will that commands your eye not to blink,
And forces paralyzed mind to nonetheless think --
The Will that requires your aim still be true
No matter what damage may terrify you.
So I'll say it again, though I sound like a fool:
Your Will is the weapon. Your gun is a tool.

Your gun may save the day; then again, it may not.
But if a brand name and caliber are all that you've got
The game's already over and your life may be done --
For you still are not armed. You're just holding a gun.

pax

A poet who reads his verse in public may have other nasty habits. -- Lazarus Long (Robert Heinlein)

[dairycreek]

Nice work! Good shooting;)

[Hook]

That's a good one pax.
hope you don't mind if I send it to some of my buds.



Hook:)

[pax]

Thanks for the kind words.


Hook ~

Don't send it along, please.

Just send them the URL here.

If this came back to me as glurge in my email (stranger things have happened), I'd have to slit my throat. :D

pax

[Jokerman]

Wow, that was great!

[frenchwrench]

Pax you made my day! Great job,all my kids loved it too. Thanks.

[middy]

Very good, Pax! A+ :)

[sturmruger]

I like that I think I will link to that from my website when I have it finished.

[Ala Dan]

Really nice work pax, I enjoyed that so much I would
like to forward it too some of my friends. :cool: :D

Best Wishes,
Ala Dan, N.R.A. Life Member

[jamz]

Wow, most all gun related poetry pretty much sucks (in this man's humble opinion) but that was pretty funny, and cool. Well done!

-James

[Chupacabra]

Awesome.

:cool:

[Nightfall]

Good poem. I thought this deserved a bump for new High Roaders to read.

[Buck Snort]

"And when the battle comes down, as the battles must do"? WHOA NELLIE!! Hey, we don't need that kind of stuff just laid out free for the anti-gun crowd to scoop up and use against us. :banghead:

[svtruth]

Very nice, up to your usual high standard.

[Double Maduro]

Pax,

What can I say?

Once again you have distilled years of knowledge, experience and common sense into a form and length that can be understood by all.

Thank you,
DM