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