Veterans Day
September 1st, 1947
James and Brother are told it is
an honor
to fight for this country
an honor to fight for soil
cause it just is
and for justice
and they better be ready
on that battlefield
and it don't hurt that bad to die
and when bombs blow you
run for cover
and you run
till legs give out
till limbs give out on you and
run out on you and
until james can't find brother
until james can't find ALL of brother
until james can't stomach it , can't find it in heart to tell stories of glory like
european other
can't find it in heart to stomach european other
it is
an honor
to fight like george
and roland
and luther 1984
big brother
for this country
that refuses to acknowledge your existence ,and
big brother,
man
how they've forgotten
blue tickets once ushered your way out of history
Names spit through air
Spit on ground
They made you
spit shine shoes they called you
boy
your grave had no name
boy
your mother still waits for you to come home
boy
they inscribed idea that to be a good leader you must be a good follower
to get ahead you need to not get out of place in the chain of command
Close your eyes and aim that pistol
Boy
you must obey
and they told you it is an honor
for bones and dreams to make you beg for release of dissolution it is
an
honor dear man
for teeth to draw together in moments of remembrance
fist clenched
by side
dear woman
to shed your skin
shed your clothes
lay your body on line
let red drip from blackened blue orifice
done by white comrade
wit bloodied fingers
once forced inside
of you
How can they forget acid can't burn away truth
an honor to have
bloated cadavers banging on mental wall
all while you try to hold your newborn niece
Try holding force-fed food down
Try focusing
Try focusing
Please try
Focusing on something other than those demons
Make you lose what bad religion you have left
all while you try to get those demons out of
You
You
Will learn though
You will learn to salute with what's left of hand
I mean what's left of heart
No sanity
You will learn