war zone

ive never been in a war
but i think about the kind of terror
soldiers must face

every night, wondering if it’s their last earthly sleep
every morning, wondering if today is the day
for death

imagining the funeral,
the loved ones left behind,
preemptively aching to fix the pain
that has not come yet
but is sure to arrive
when you are dancing in hell
with a partner whose moves you cannot predict
or change

which reminds me
i need to call the caretaker at the cemetery
to reserve this baby’s spot next to Tinsley,
just in case.

no, i have never been in a war
except the one im fighting now