Our Way

we were young 
and war was our way 
we’d fight in class 
or after school 
we’d die on the way home 
and after snacks 
of fruit and milk 
we’d fight again 
in neighbors’ yards 
we’d have new weapons 
that never ran dry 
and force fields 
that never failed 
we’d climb on fences 
and crawl along the top 
(wooden slivers in our hands) 
and when we saw the enemy 
we’d point our sticks 
and jump and 
fire as we fell 
complete surprise 
in the enemy’s eyes 
he was hopelessly outnumbered 

one to one 
but we were many 
and I commanded all
 we’d hit the ground 
roll over once 
and fire again 
the enemy 
would bleed and die 
and we would gloat 
shots from his dying hand
shots in our gut 
(our only vulnerable spot)
we’d fall 
“Medic!” 
“I’m hit!” 
the enemy’s sister 
angel of mercy 
Kiss me better 
Kiss the dead 
we’d both recover 
and fight again 
we were young 
and war was our way