In a Kansas field
I spent several hours burying my feet in the soil while listening to the
insects, birds and cars on the highway beyond the trees. I was born January 1st 1966 at the
838th Tactical Hospital, Forbes Air Force Base of Topeka
Kansas. My mother said the doctor held
me by my ankles and announced, “ANOTHER FINE SOLDIER FOR JESUS!” And I say FUCK YOU to those first words said
to me! My mother ate food grown on this
land when I was inside her; we drank from the same aquifer, the sky was as big as
it is today. I took notes for the poem.
I dug a hole and deposited shit, piss, vomit, blood, phlegm, hair, skin,
fingernails, semen and tears, and in that order. I apologized for being alive.
I apologized for the animals I shot and killed to prove I could provide dinner. I apologized for having no answers on how to stop the hyper-militarized police on the streets of America while the US military is on the streets of Arab nations. I apologized for paying taxes that purchase the bullets, bombs and drones. I am a citizen of the United States my nation is guilty of war crimes. I apologized for not convincing my queer sisters and brothers that repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was only putting a sympathetic face on a multi-trillion dollar military industrial complex. I apologized for not finding a way to protect Chelsea Manning. I apologized for not preventing my boyfriend Mark from moving to Tennessee where his murderers awaited. I am a citizen of the United States my nation is guilty of hate crimes. I apologized for many things for a long while then covered the hole with my offerings and took more notes for my poem.
I apologized for the animals I shot and killed to prove I could provide dinner. I apologized for having no answers on how to stop the hyper-militarized police on the streets of America while the US military is on the streets of Arab nations. I apologized for paying taxes that purchase the bullets, bombs and drones. I am a citizen of the United States my nation is guilty of war crimes. I apologized for not convincing my queer sisters and brothers that repealing Don’t Ask Don’t Tell was only putting a sympathetic face on a multi-trillion dollar military industrial complex. I apologized for not finding a way to protect Chelsea Manning. I apologized for not preventing my boyfriend Mark from moving to Tennessee where his murderers awaited. I am a citizen of the United States my nation is guilty of hate crimes. I apologized for many things for a long while then covered the hole with my offerings and took more notes for my poem.
