Restricted Entry

Beth Mink

 

 

Dear Major,

 

I loaded the cd of Jalalabad that you copied

for me.  Scenes of the desert flipped

on my screen and army men, all men:

the women aren't allowed where you drove

so far up Afghanistan's ass. The screen showed

black over and over with a little white script

in the center that read, "drawing failed."

 

It was then I saw that the picture of the American soldier

didn't copy. He was lying on his back in the dust

with metal sticking out of his gut like a black flag.

You told me not to save that scene

because he died - but I tried to, for

the same reason you snapped it -

because it happened.

 

Sincerely,

Beth Mink

 

 

 

Copyright 2007 by the Tipton Poetry Journal.

All rights remain the exclusive property of the individual poet and may not be used without their permission.

 

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