Robert's mark
left an indelible impression,
etch on my tortured mind.
His scorpion-tat crawled
up his right calf
in shades of deady crimson.
During PT, it instilled
a certain amount of fear
on those who gazed upon it.
But lying in the desert sun,
without the rest of his body,
it was not nearly as terrifying.
I'll never forget the crying
of those surrounding his leg
& boot,
still attached.