Where have your stars fallen, little bird?
Your feathers seem slick with oil
And your eyes are glazed. Are you alright, little bird?
Your talons shudder to grip the sand beneath you.
And it's hard to see from here, but is one of your wings clipped?
You poor little bird.

Trying to find the words to say is pointless.
I can't write poetry about how much
Hatred
You inspire in me.

I can remember sitting at a vigil in your name.
Breathing in black towers of smoke with a smile.
You protected me from evil, from harm.
You assured me that
Every opposing ideology would perish in a spangled
Red
White
and blue flame.

I loved you.
I don't care about the colors anymore.
I just want you to burn.

Everything you know

Is what was sold to you.

But keep smiling and keep eating and keep drinking

(that’s an order)

Because anesthesia is cheap these days

I heard once that money makes

The world

Go ‘round.

I’m not like Einstein but

I know a thing or two about books

and

I know a thing or two about

War

And I’d say

We’re at terminal velocity

When I was in the hospital again
Visiting Grandma, this time
I could hear you breathing.

I heard your nebulizer humming and keeping me up
I heard your gravely voice thanking me and
I heard the music you let me hear.

The acoustics here are impressive
And the echo is really bad.

So I brought my heel down on the *****'s jaw.
I mean, it was already dead, but we have to be sure.
That's what Barker wanted.
And the ***** says somethin' Congish-
Well, squeals it-
So I bring my heel down harder.
No, I don't regret it. That's the thing.
I was being a soldier.
We were being soldiers.
But now I'm hearing
Apologies
From my ******* platoon leader.
He's just sorry to be the only convict.
It wasn't a "massacre." One of them had a grenade on her.
I was just following orders.

The general
Ignores the desert sun in favor of
Refreshing a clip
Standing rigid against the sand and the time
And the bullets
This land offers.

What awe I evoke
From savages whose methods are like driving
Tomahawks to steel.

The general
Feels no more
Than desert sun.