All armies are the same
Publicity is fame
Artillery makes the same old noise
Valor is an attribute of boys
Old soldiers all have tired eyes
All soldiers hear the same old lies
Dead bodies always have drawn flies

9/16/2017

i sat on the corner
and stared
until you woke up

in the car, later,
the sun dipping under
the trees

and painting the air
dark blue
i remembered the vermillion summer sun

frowned deeply, for some reason
i didn't say anything
you looked at me and smiled

i had to, too.
we sat by the woods
the car quiet and still

two hunters came out of the woods
and later, back out:
empty handed.

i looked over your side and over the seat:
saw your blue reflection, the moonlight sheer

and
objects seen in mirror
are closer than they appear

I wrote him a poem
And kept it well hid
Til' the day that I thought
He should hear what I'd writ'.
So I sat by his side,
And watched his eyes perk
As I told him I'd let him,
Just once, read my work.
I don't think he realized
I wrote it for him
But I saw on his face
As it suddenly sank in.
He looked in my eyes,
His as wide as the moon,
And said I expected
Too much
Too soon.
He got up to leave,
Threw my book to the ground,
I begged and I pleaded
But he heard no sound.
He turned on his heel
As I drowned in regret.
Guess that's what the vulnerable
Poets get.

- p. winter

I think my greatest weakness
Was that I never knew when to give up.

I fought to the death
I pushed too far
If I knew I was right
I made sure you knew too.

And I think your greatest weakness
Was that you gave up too easily.

You never screamed back,
Let me win when I shouldn't have,
Watched me defend arguments
You knew made no sense.

But one day,
Our roles changed.
You fought and I
Surrendered.

When we played "who can walk away first"
And I let you win.

- p. winter

I am sorry I let someone touch
the outline of your lips,

I am sorry I let someone trace the
goosebumps on your arms,

I am sorry I let someone whisper
poetry to your ears,

I am sorry I let someone
break your wings.