My Soldier
To those who have a loved one far away in the military.
He is my soldier,
Strong arms with pride.
He is my soldier,
smile glowing like a child’s,
with a buzz cut like a military cookie cutter.
He is my soldier,
maybe not all the time,
but he is mine.
The calendar wraps around me like prison shackles.
As the pages flip and the the months turn
I wait for him to give me the spare minutes on his watch.
I listen to the ticking on the clock.
Any minute now will be my minute,
Although he travels,
my love can travel too.
It works kind of like my mother.
SHE WILL FIND YOU.
And when my minute comes
I’m set free from those shackles
The ticks on the clock stop.
I taste the sweetness on his breath,
I listen to the sound of his existence.
I leave my head on his chest.
(2014)
