Letter to Bagdad

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!