Could You?
Could You
Flip the Switch,
Pull the Lever,
Push the Button,
Squeeze the Trigger
on a life that hangs
in the balance?
Every day twelve ordinary law abiding citizens
answer the call
to make that decision.
And it isn’t as easy as
deciding compensation for asbestos poisoning,
or compensation for flammable children’s clothes,
as the radio and TV ads proclaim.
And even though twelve ordinary law abiding citizens
don’t actually have their hand
on the device that will take that life,
their thoughts and conscience
will always haunt them.
Does an “Eye for an Eye”
really mean
a “Life for a Life”?
Could You
Flip that Switch,
Pull that Lever,
Push that Button,
or Squeeze that Trigger?
Could You
Swim in a pool
of 150 potential target jurors
like fish in a barrel
betting on that 13 to 1 “SHOT!”
to be discarded.
Could You
make up excuses,
lying about true feelings,
to increase your odds and avoid your civic duty
of having to decide weather a man should live or die
so you don’t have to feel . . .
“AS GUILTY”?
Could You
withstand the
constant barrage and shelling
of lawyers examining
your views,
convictions,
contemplations,
and reservations
for ending a life
when the law requires
you consider
Flipping the Switch,
Pulling the Lever,
Pushing the Button,
or Squeezing the Trigger?
Could you
wait patiently
with strangers deciding
if you have a clear conscience
to be an unbiased participant?
The only sound in silence
is your heart beating to the rhythm
of the clock on the wall.
Every breath taken for granted,
and you don’t know when you’ll take your last.
You don’t know when your heart
will make it’s last beat
to the last tick tock of the clock. . . . . .
but you may have to decide that moment
for someone else.
Could you really
Flip the Switch,
Pull the Lever,
Push the Button,
or Squeeze the Trigger?
Could You?
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R L "whoopeecat" Stephenson has been livin' with the cactus and horny toads for many years. It certainly has affected his views, not to mention the few dances with peyote doin' the same. Slingin' hash, or grub to most folks, being an accomplished Executive Chef has put the groceries in the fridge and a roof over his head. He is editor/publisher of Whoopeecat Press. His work appears on various websites. Accomplishments - chapbook: "Nola in the Streets" and "Howlin' Cat Blues" - 15 poem CD.
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