Christmas 1968
the whole hospital hurt.
my bed hugged a corner
and the ward ached
away from me.
endlessly away.
I remember Nurse Merz,
who saved my leg,
and Fender,
who lost his.
mine was a small world.
we had clean sheets.
no one wanted to **** us
at night.
it was Christmas.
after rounds,
the medics
brought us shots of whiskey
in dosage cups.
far away to the south,
the hills
were swallowing people up.
I almost slept
without dreaming.
(106th. Army Evacuation Hospital
Kishine Barracks
Yokohama, Japan)