Read the stanza below from the poem “Tattoo” by Gregg Shapiro and answer the question that follows.
If I could trade places with him I would pad the rest of his days wrap him in gauze and velvet absorb the shocks and treat his wounds I would scrub the numbers from his flesh Extinguish the fire and give him back his life What does gauze symbolize in the poem “Tattoo” by Gregg Shapiro?
a. safety
b. destruction
c. separation
d. love

In the stanza the speaker is trying to protect someone. He talks about using gauze and velvet to "absorb the shocks and treat his wounds". He also talks about giving back the person his life. It is clear in this passage the speaker does not wish any evil on anyone so "destruction" is not correct. Also, separation does not fit. While it does seem as though the speaker has love for the person, the gauze does not represent it.