Trained to Shoot

The little girl’s father was a sniper
He took her to the shooting range one day

But his daughter could not pull the trigger
The girl put the pistol down and stepped back

The sound of shots frightened the doe-eyed girl
She wore earmuffs but she was terrified

She wanted to curl up in a tight ball
She wanted to go cry in the corner

She wished she could leave the loud shooting range
Daddy had said they would have a great time

The sniper’s daughter was disappointed
She thought he was taking her ice skating

He wanted her to fire the Ruger
Her hand quivered and she put down the gun

Daddy said, There is evil in this world
I want you to know how to handle it

There are bad guys who want to hurt people
And sometimes they need to be taken out

The little girl replied to her father
I know Daddy, but the noise is scary

He got her earplugs to use with the muffs
And suddenly the girl could breathe again

She fired the gun and hit the target
Years later she fires bullets away

Some of her targets seem small and simple
Some of her targets are headline-makers

She grips her hands and fires with focus
She remembers being a little girl

Paralyzed and unable to fire
Now she crouches down low, silent and still

She’s trained to be unnerved by any noise
She knows there’s evil throughout the whole world

Many years ago at the shooting range
She learned the Devil’s kingdom reeks of noise

She ignores the noise and aims her prayers
Like firing bullets at a shooting range.