Day 314

Tomorrow is Veteran's Day. I thought I'd try another military themed peom.

Short Timer's Disease

Your time is almost up.
You can think of nothing else.
You obsess over plans and paperwork,
making sure every T is crossed
and every I is dotted.
You fill out one form to fill out another.
You go to this office to get to that one.
Your bags are packed.
Your boxes are stacked.
You can all but envision
your parents' faces when
you walk through the door.

Your bunkmate is jealous
to be left behind.
Your friends say they'll
call from time to time.
You've lived with them,
worked with, ate with,
vacationed with them.
They are all you've known.
The sadness creeps in.

You focus on the forms, the bags
and the family you'll see.

You've woken every morning
to the sound of the trumpet.
You've put on your uniform
and stood in formation.
You've marched, saluted, pushed up
and done side straddle hops every day.

You've been in this vaccuum
of rules and regulations.
The seal will soon be broken
and the air will rush in.

Will you breathe deeply and
become alive again?
Will you breathe deeply and
pass out from the rush?