A shovel is a better weapon
than a gun when you are facing
a scorpion.
The problem is we pick our weapons
before we’ve seen the enemy
and mostly choose badly.
I can wave a pistol and yell threats,
but my dad’s dementia won’t drop
his mind and flee.
Instead, it will turn me into a stranger
with a gun. Whether an object is
a weapon or a tool depends partially
on the state of mind of the person
holding it and partially on that
of the people within swinging distance.
Every time I visit my dad, I leave
with one of his tools hidden
in the trunk of my car.
I think of this as gradual
disarmament. He thinks someone
is breaking into his garage.
When I was little, I knew
exactly where he hid his gun—
in the back of his sock drawer.
Now, I just hope he’s forgotten
he has one, and try not to startle him
when he’s holding something
that could be lethal if he forgot
what he was using it for
and with whom.