Neal shipley
Bullet Journal
What does it mean to come
from a hunting family and not hunt
that is
what does it mean to feel
at ease with my fingers wrapped around a .22
comfortable flicking off a safety with my thumb
to practice aim —
confident I can hit the bullseye
or a mannequin dead center in the chest
what does it mean
to refuse to bring these skills
into applied practice
I mean to say
I conceal this knowledge
carry it with me
what I mean to say is
I could buy a gun
I could use it well
but what would that make me
from a hunting family and not hunt
that is
what does it mean to feel
at ease with my fingers wrapped around a .22
comfortable flicking off a safety with my thumb
to practice aim —
confident I can hit the bullseye
or a mannequin dead center in the chest
what does it mean
to refuse to bring these skills
into applied practice
I mean to say
I conceal this knowledge
carry it with me
what I mean to say is
I could buy a gun
I could use it well
but what would that make me
Neal Allen Shipley (he/him) is a poet living in Colorado with a modest collection of pets and an unhinged collection of plants. His writing has been nominated for Best New Poets and the Pushcart Prize, and can be found in recent issues of Superpresent, Blood Orange Review, Glass, and elsewhere. Despite the horrors, he loves a fancy hot dog.
Instagram: @nealio9
Linktree: linktr.ee/snealallen
Instagram: @nealio9
Linktree: linktr.ee/snealallen
