My Life Had Stood a Loaded Gun

My interpretation of this poem is a woman comparing her role as a caretaker for a man (perhaps her husband) to a gun. A gun is a weapon often used for protection; This, to me, would imply the significance of the gun as a metaphor for a caretaker. It seems as though the author is determined in her role as protector to her "master" and accepts the duty. The last stanza reads, "though i than he - may longer live he longer must - than i - for i have but the power to kill - without the power to die" It seems to me that the author it trying to convey that even though she is incapable of dying, she must put herself on the line at all costs to protect him, even if it were to mean dying. Furthermore, the first stanza reads "My life had stood - a loaded gun - in corners - till a day the owner passed - identified - and carried me away" which I would interpret as someone having no purpose and then being given one. However, whether or not the author is resentful with the role she plays is difficult for me to discern.