Ellen McGrath Smith: An American Dream

I dreamed I bought a gun. At a Rite-Aid. 

It was heavy, brightly colored, a girl-gun. 

Then I ran into my Republican friend, 

who was wearing fedora and pimp suit. 

I told him I had a gun, hoped it showed

we shared common ground. I asked if 

he’d help me take the bullets out, 

loaded guns scared me. We went to 

his man cave, classic jazz on vinyl. 

My child asked, “Why are we here? 

This looks like a man cave.” I praised her 

for being so perceptive. The base color 

of the gun was bubblegum. An impulse 

purchase, this gun, at the counter where 

candy forms a flank against health. 

It sat in my purse like a used tampon 

wrapped in t.p. The mouth of my purse 

seemed to grimace Make my day.

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Copyright 2022 Ellen McGrath Smith

Ellen McGrath Smith is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh. Her books include Nobody’s Jackknife (West End, 2016).