War Poet.ca - A CFAP Project by Suzanne Steele

rocket attack

Nov 24, 2009

we laugh. at rocket attack. brass arrowhead.
aim. fire. russian ordinance. dud. the thud
in KAF’s moon dust— fatalism, second piece
of kit the infantry arms itself with—
long lineups at Tim’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut,
the Boardwalk’s staked claims of normalcy.
“no fucking rocket’s going to make me wait
lose my place”, say muscled guys with BFGs
they won’t budge, ignore orders to hunker down.
in the bunker I hold a shaking civvie girl.
tell her about my life. ask “how’s mother?”
“how long have you been here? where are you from?”
Afghanistan’s sun drops fast. like dollars
in souks. In dark, we hear sirens. all-clear.

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