Open Carry

carry my thoughts
i’ll carry your prate

carry my heart
i’ll carry your hate

carry my prayers
i’ll carry your fears

carry compassion
i’ll care for your tears

carry acceptance
i’ll carry your doubt

carry each other
what caring’s about

carry my freedom
i’ll carry your rights

carry my suffrage
i’ll carry your slights

carry my hardships
i’ll carry forgiveness

carry my healthcare
i’ll carry your sickness

carry your wrath
get carried away

carry injustice
it’ll be here to stay

carry your guns
they’ll carry death

pull on the trigger
take a last breath

carry its memory
carry your guilt

carry regret
for the blood you have spilt

carry your body
i’ll carry mine

take nationalism
leave the ism behind

carry the courage
to not carry arms

carry the decency
to not cause us harm

carry my thoughts
i’ll carry the dream

of an america
not this extreme

–

Rémy Dambron is a Portland-based author and culinary artist. His creative writing, with the help of his loving wife and chief editor, has been featured in What Rough Beast, New Verse News, Poets Reading the News, Writers Resist, Words & Whispers, and Spillwords, among other publications.