The Toy Gun
Poetry by Lance Landall
A Spiritual And Inspirational Poem from All-Creatures.org

It's hardly any wonder that a boy likes to tinker with a gun,
Starting with a toy gun, 'cause after all, such are made to look like fun.
Yes, all those shoot ’em up movies they see, and those computer games too,
That eventually (for many, that is), real life drama lead to.

Yes, first it's a toy, and then along comes the likes of a BB gun,
'Cause many graduate, you see, taking pot-shots at creatures for fun.
And after that, other things can follow, and often disastrously,
Hence many of those tragedies that are witnessed, or seen on TV.

And who’s to blame? Is it mums and dads? Grandparents? Uncles and aunts? Friends?
'Cause after all, giving a young boy a gun, some sort of signal sends.
“Here, son, I have a gun for you, and it's just like the real thing — enjoy,”
And once again, the eyes light up in another innocent young boy.

Tell me, who lets them watch those movies that they see via the TV screen,
Where violence is very common, and where weapons are often seen?
And who sits there right beside them, just lapping up all the action too,
Whilst puzzling over the high crime rate, and why things are going askew?

You often hear people say, “It’s just a toy,” which really baffles me,
Because anyone can see that it is imitation weaponry.
“Here, son, I have a gun for you, and it's just like the real thing — enjoy,”
And enjoy that gun they sure do, pretending to murder with that “toy.”

And oh, how that fire is often fuelled by a father’s own love of guns,
Yes, a sorry love affair, that far too often in families runs.
“Wow! I just killed my first deer” (or other), somebody’s son shouts proudly,
And there you have it, a sick desire for killing blighting a family.

And it only takes a plastic toy, one that should never have been given,
Which many a loved son, into the arms of the law has soon driven.
Yes, first it’s a toy, next a deer, then a human, and then off to jail,
And all because a taste for killing was wrongly fuelled in some young male.