Letter to Bagdad
Marine corporal, lady driver of men
to battle and safety--is there any safety?
Patriot of the burning guitar,
(at 20, so many pictures of Hendrix,
one simply labeled "God")
Watching Brokeback on a bootleg film,
taken with a hand-held cam--all of it--
Some woman's sobs making joke of the last few minutes,
(but thank you, bootlegger!)
Writing of bullets, blood, collapsing walls and blessed sex:
Come gentle out of that bad night,
Take your battle-lust to bed, to love,
Wherever you wish, bed or no, with whomever you wish
Later, and now,
Don't ask, don't tell, and
Write whatever the hell you want.
(I'm a Marine. Must I think?)
Yes!