Winchester

My friend John
And I are in the 9th
Grade in a writing class
When the teacher announces
The best essay which I expect will
Be mine but it is John’s essay on
The Winchester rifle giving me
A better perspective on my
Arrogance but I quickly
Rationalize his effort
Won him the award
As his essay could
Not possibly have
Been better than
My own and so
On recognition
Followed by
Rationalization
Until in my 30s I
Buy a Winchester
Rifle for some fantasy
Of home defense failing
To properly clean it and toss
Out old ammunition both to the
Painful embarrassment of my sons
Who are all Sargents in the Army
Who remind me of my duty to
Maintain a rifle until in my
Shame I sell the weapon
To a local rancher who
Checks it for proper
Maintenance then
Sizes me up as
An academic
And looks
Puzzled
But he
Buys
It
And
I think
John must
Be laughing
In heaven where
He went after his
Time in Viet Nam where
He acquired a heroin habit
Souvenir he brought back to
Texas where it killed him but he
Always had a good sense of humor
And appreciated irony so my rifle
Adventure would amuse him
And spare me a visitation
Like Marley’s visit to
Ebenezer only from
An NRA point of
View but with
The same
Smirk he
Shot me
In the
9th
Grade
When his
Winchester
Essay beat mine.