“Coming Soon: Civil War” By Dan Grossman

Coming Soon: Civil War

Everyone’s packing AKs to the mall
so it’s no surprise when your kid uses one
to shoot up his middle school. It’s no surprise
when the talking head pins the blame not on guns

but pronouns, and the long-haul trucker,
listening in, grits his teeth in anger.
Everyone goes ballistic on everything now.
I mean, I’ve got my petty grievances

like the artist who told me not to use
my interview with him after he asked about
my background, after I recorded it.

I’m not going to take up arms over it
but too many have itchy trigger fingers now.
I want to see my kid through college first.