{"id":621,"date":"2026-10-19T16:00:17","date_gmt":"2026-10-19T21:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/?p=621"},"modified":"2026-10-19T15:47:09","modified_gmt":"2026-10-19T20:47:09","slug":"americas-gun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2026\/10\/19\/americas-gun\/","title":{"rendered":"America&#8217;s Gun"},"content":{"rendered":"<p data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"><em>An older piece of mine, first shared on Facebook when a certain poem and its variants were making the rounds. A friend posted it yesterday (with permission), so here it is for anyone who wants to find it again.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>America is the Gun<br \/>\nThat holds its head up high.<br \/>\nThat does not scorn the fight,<br \/>\nThat does not scorn to die.<\/p>\n<p>America is the gun,<br \/>\nBound, bloodied, and tied,<br \/>\nScorned by unblooded cowards<br \/>\nIn the name of those who died.<\/p>\n<p>America is the gun,<br \/>\nThat the world begs for its peace<br \/>\nWhen they have dismissed their soldiers<br \/>\nIn false noblesse oblige.<\/p>\n<p>America is the gun,<br \/>\nThat says \u2018enough no more\u2019,<br \/>\nAnd fights with both hand tied<br \/>\nOn many distant shores.<\/p>\n<p>America is the gun,<br \/>\nThe world holds in contempt,<br \/>\nAnd yet the world would burn<br \/>\nUnless our guns are kept.<\/p>\n<p><em>America\u2019s Gun<\/em> copyright \u00a9 Heather Strickler 2026 all rights reserved<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An older piece of mine, first shared on Facebook when a certain poem and its variants were making the rounds. A friend posted it yesterday (with permission), so here it is for anyone who wants to find it again. America is the Gun That holds its head up high. That does not scorn the fight,&hellip; <a class=\"more-link\" href=\"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2026\/10\/19\/americas-gun\/\">Read More <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">America&#8217;s Gun<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":622,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[14,13],"tags":[26,22,12,20,15,11,17,30],"class_list":["post-621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-poetry","category-writing","tag-duty","tag-grim","tag-hope","tag-mood","tag-oaths","tag-poetry","tag-story","tag-thoughts"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/parUcj-a1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":504,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2025\/12\/05\/unspin-the-light\/","url_meta":{"origin":621,"position":0},"title":"Unspin the Light","author":"Heather","date":"December 5, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A bit of hope for your day. Unspin the light into the sky. Raise your voices far and nigh. Cup your hand to catch the dawn And name your mem\u2019ry in a song. Hold your soul to reflect the day A hope that will not pass away Even though the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Poetry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Unspin-the-Light.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Unspin-the-Light.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Unspin-the-Light.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":513,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2025\/12\/17\/walker-between\/","url_meta":{"origin":621,"position":1},"title":"Walker Between","author":"Heather","date":"December 17, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"This is the other side of one I did a long time ago \u201cDuke of Bones\u201d. Same character, from the perspective of those he protects rather than hunts. I hope you enjoy. He\u2019s an odd one. He walks the weave He walks the cuts He walks the lines between Where\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Poetry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Walker-Between.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Walker-Between.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Walker-Between.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":436,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2025\/09\/01\/the-ash-remembers\/","url_meta":{"origin":621,"position":2},"title":"The Ash Remembers","author":"Heather","date":"September 1, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A little something for you to enjoy The ash tree remembers what the oak forgets As time wends on and memory frets. The future is born under linden leaves And the sun reveals all he sees. Though ancient powers, great and tall Weave their plans through all in all. Still\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Poetry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ash-Remembers.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ash-Remembers.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Ash-Remembers.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":445,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2025\/09\/12\/edge-of-darkness\/","url_meta":{"origin":621,"position":3},"title":"Edge of Darkness","author":"Heather","date":"September 12, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Days are dark but hope is never gone. A light in the darkness cannot be quenched. A star in the sky burns forever entrenched. Where there is light, the night holds no sway. And though darkness may come, to dawn it gives way. A candle held high can be snuffed\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Poetry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":601,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2026\/10\/05\/what-silence-tells\/","url_meta":{"origin":621,"position":4},"title":"What Silence Tells","author":"Heather","date":"October 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"A bit of light for your day, no matter how dark it may be. The harps lay silent, their strings unstrung The harper\u2019s soul laid bare. The voices still with songs unsung And no hope left to spare. When dreams are ash and hearts grow cold And bitter draughts lay\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Poetry&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Poetry","link":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/category\/writing\/poetry\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/What-Silence-Tells.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/What-Silence-Tells.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/What-Silence-Tells.jpg?fit=600%2C600&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26,"url":"http:\/\/dreaminginplot.com\/MainBlog\/2016\/11\/08\/mine-eyes-have-seen-the-glory\/","url_meta":{"origin":621,"position":5},"title":"Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory","author":"Heather","date":"November 8, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Of the coming\u00a0of the Lord. 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