gunning it
by Dario Cvencek
you don’t need a gun
when guns arrive
in the neighborhood
somebody from the
neighborhood dies
when the shooting started
in my hometown
we formed night watches
around our building
the building housed the
post office and was the
telecommunications center
for the entire municipality
when the shooting started
the soldiers moved in
to secure the premises
my friends who were older than me
who were 16, 17, 18
all volunteered to hold
night watch while the
soldiers slept
one night they sent the
youngest among them
to go get some coffee
while he was gone they
played around with the
guns they were issued
one of the guns went off
just as the boy was
turning the corner
the coffee tray and
the coffee mugs
dropping with a bang
from his hands
he died the next day
I heard it on the radio
they stopped the
regular programming
to announce he was
no longer with us
you don’t need a gun
a gun will not
protect you
when they come
to your door
because when they come
they come in the middle of the night
and there are 5 or 6 of them
and they all have rifles
and your gun will be
of no help
our next-door neighbor
was a former police officer
his nationality was that
of the enemy army
when they came for him
he turned over his gun
and went with them
his body was found in the river
his hands tied behind his back
with wire and one bullet
in the back of his skull
the gun will not save you
they come in packs
and they hunt at night
they behave like wolves
but they are worse than wolves
for they have been trained in prisons
and in mercenary groups around the world
they are the scum that washes up
to the surface when fear sweeps
through the streets
and the window blinds shut quickly
and keys turn slowly inside the locks
and stay turned inside
you do not need a gun
I’ve held a loaded gun in my hands
more times than I want to remember
a loaded gun changes you
it makes you more dangerous
it makes you think thoughts
you would not think
otherwise
I ran away from guns
I ran as far away as I could
all the way to Seattle
because Seattle was
furthest away on the map
furthest away from
where I had to listen
to gunshots day in and
day out for weeks
for months
the next time I hear a gunshot
I will run again and won’t
stop until I hit
Australia
you don’t need a gun
when guns arrive
in the neighborhood
somebody
from the neighborhood
ALWAYS
dies
you
do not
need
a gun
Photo of Dario Cvencek
BIO: Dario Cvencek is an immigrant poet from the Balkans. He started writing poetry in high school, inspired by his growing up during the Bosnian War in the 1990s, and his subsequent experiences as a refugee of war and an immigrant in Germany and the United States. In his poems, he explores the themes of war, trauma, healing, identity, gun violence, immigration, nature, and love. His work has appeared in literary publications and independent presses, such as Rising Phoenix Review, Ambrosia Zine, Gnashing Teeth Publishing, Ancient Tech News, Beyond Words Magazine, ANARKISS Magazine, The Split Mind, and others. “PTSD Martini” (Carbonation Press, 2025) is his first full-length collection of poetry. He lives and works in Seattle, WA. Connect with Dario on Instagram at @dario_poetry.