The sky is dark
as dad drives me and mom to the airport
Even at such a early hour,
the roads are crowded

We are going to tell them that I want to live
That we don’t want guns
That the right to guns
does not override our right to live

I want to live
Everyday when I walk into school
I have to ask
“Is today the day?”
Will the boogeyman burst in,
armed with a rifle
And shoot me like a deer?
Is it today?

I want to live, damnit
I want to graduate and go on,
To share dorm rooms and lecture halls
But what if I don’t get that?

What if I don’t live
What will my parents do
What if my friends die
What if

No

No what ifs

I won’t let there be what ifs
I will tell them I want to live
And they will let me live

The sun is rising
And I am on my way
I will tell them

No more guns.

I want to live, damnit.