Yi magana ku rayu

Kalamai guda biyu daga mawaka daban-daban. saita ajanda don Harsasai a cikin kararrawa: Mawaka da Jama'a Suna Amsa Rikicin Bindiga, kididdiga na musamman na wakoki da tunani a kan bindigogi. “Idan ka yi magana, ka mutu. Idan ka yi shiru, ka mutu. Don haka, ku yi magana ku mutu,” in ji mawaƙin Aljeriya kuma ɗan jarida Tahar Djaout, wanda a shekara ta 1993 wata ƙungiyar masu tsattsauran ra'ayi ta harbe ta kuma ta kashe shi. Wallace Stevens ya kwatanta waƙar a matsayin "tashin hankali daga ciki wanda ke kare mu daga tashin hankali ba tare da. Hasashen ne ke matsawa baya kan matsin gaskiya."

An kawo abin ban mamaki, gaskiyar da ba za a iya misalta ba a Amurka a cikin littafin: al’ummarmu na fama da kashe-kashen harbe-harbe sama da 30,000 a duk shekara, gami da kisan kai, hatsarori, da kai hari. A cikin wannan anthology, mawaƙa 54 sun amsa wannan gaskiyar ta—a zahiri—tabbatar, “magana da rayuwa.”

Lokutan suna buƙatar motsawa fiye da mahawara game da bindigogi zuwa wani sabon yanki na nuance, watakila ta hanyar waƙoƙi da sauran fasahar kere kere kawai. Mawaka da mawaƙa su ne masu tsaron ƙofa waɗanda suka shigar da mu cikin wannan firgita ta ƙasa.

An gina littafin a matsayin litany. Kowace waka tana yin ta ne ta hanyar ɗan gajeren tunani da “yan ƙasa” suka rubuta a cikin fassarar littafin. Ba wai kawai 'yan ƙasa ba ne, duk da haka. Wadanda suka tsira daga harbe-harbe, dangin mutanen da suka mutu a harbe-harbe, masu fafutukar kare bindiga da sauran masu neman zaman lafiya - har ma da mutanen da ke da alaka da masu harbi.

Yana haifar da haƙiƙa mai tayar da hankali, ƙwarewar karatu. Raw harshe da hoto mai hoto suna kawo rayuwar gaskiyar tashin hankali, da abin da yake yi wa mutane. Ya kamata masu karatu su shirya don jin ra'ayi mai zurfi da na sirri, jin tare da waɗanda abin ya shafa, waɗanda suka tsira, har ma da masu harbi. . . domin wannan shine batun. Sai dai idan Amurkawa ba su shiga cikin zahirin zahiri da tunani da ruhi na harbe-harben ba, za a bar tashin hankali ya ci gaba da yin asarar rayuka da dama.

Daya daga cikin masu gyara, Brian Clements, yana zaune a Newtown, Conn., kuma yana auren wani malamin da ya tsira daga harbin a makarantar firamare ta Sandy Hook. Wakarsa littafai ce ta nata. Lambar ta 22 ta taimaka masa ya tuna mutanen da ya ci karo da su a lokuta daban-daban a rayuwarsa, mutanen da suke dauke da bindigu .22, ko kuma suka yi masa barazana da daya, ko harbe kansu ko kuma wasu. Ɗaya daga cikin stanza yana game da babban abokinsa daga aji shida da na bakwai, wanda ya kashe kansa yana da shekaru 22. Ƙarshe na ƙarshe ya ba da labarin kwarewar matarsa ​​a Sandy Hook.

. . . wani Bushmaster .223, daruruwan harsasai,
da bindiga a cikin mota. Maimakon juya dama,
wajen ajin matata inda ta ja
yara biyu suka shigo dakinta daga falon,
ya juya hagu. . . .

Wani waka na Reginald Dwayne Betts, "Lokacin da Na Yi Tunanin Tamir Rice Yayin Tuki," an haɗa tare da amsa daga mahaifiyar Tamir mai shekaru 12, wanda 'yan sanda suka harbe yayin wasa da bindigar wasan yara a wurin shakatawa na jama'a. "Lokacin da na rasa Tamir, na rasa wani yanki na kaina," in ji Samariya Rice. “An kirkiro ta’addancin ‘yan sandan Amurka don sarrafa bakar fata da launin ruwan kasa na bauta. Wannan ya kasance a bayyane a yau. Muna bukatar sauyi a duk fadin kasar nan da kuma daukar nauyin ‘yan uwanmu da ta’addancin Amurka ya sace rayuwarsu.”

"Wane ne zai jagoranci gwamnati lokacin da suka ci gaba da kashe 'yan Amurka?" tambayarta ce. Ya cancanci amsa mai mahimmanci daga shugabannin al'ummarmu - kuma, da gaske, daga gare mu duka.

Ga amsar da ta ba ta: “Ba na jin tsoron shugabancin da na shiga sa’ad da ɗana ya rasu. Ba na jin tsoron haifar da canji kuma in zama wani bangare na canji.