recruit

driving mindlessly at 60 mph to get to my desk
where i’ll sit mindlessly at 0 mph

there was a news story about minnesotans at war
it was the first brigade and they were in training
the reporter said that it was a machine gun on the back of a humvee
but that the boys called it a saw

behind the saw now was private first class, i shouldn’t say his name
because it will hinder your ability to put yourself behind the saw

the gunnery sergeant said to the reporter:
This is to build their confidence.
Of course this is live ammo, so there’s no return fire.
Drive five miles per hour please -
Let’s take ‘er easy.

as the sound of their engine and packing noise of their equipment
jostling up and down
filled my own car
i heard one of the other soldiers say in a drawl:
well, you better not fuck this one up, boy.
everyone back home’s listenin’

the sergeant again:
Okay, you can use a 3-5 round burst or a 5-8 round burst
Let’s open up with a good killing spray.

and before i expected it
i heard the fast-repeating mechanical noise of his gun
RAT-TAT-TAT i’m inclined to say
but that’s not exactly what it was like

it was more like
reaching your arm around behind a girl’s back
unclasping her bra
and feeling a woman’s bare back underneath her t-shirt
for the first time

and it was a lot like
hearing the cutting words come tumbling out of your mouth
toward your wife

and i guess, yes, it was a bit like
standing in the crisp silence
apprehensively pulling the trigger back
while your father
and his father
look at the empty old milwaukee
sixty feet away