The Female Soldier

Comfortably nestled in her bosom’s warmth

nursed her M-16 rifle. Moment before,

he thought it cried to be picked-up,

and she wondered why

it smelled somehow like baby powder.

She looked at the list

of who she was:

wife,

mother,

soldier,

lover,

friend,

daughter,

sister,

                                        myself

--was always left off.

The list of things to do:

counsel soldiers

attend meeting

pay daycare

buy food

inspect squad

prepare uniform

prepare for deployment

write Mom, Dad, Sis, best friend

attend little league practice

marriageduties,

                                         while

her

wedding hand stroked

from nozzle to butt

her baby

                                          --in cold steel.

Camouflage make-up

in brown and black

adorned her face and masked her tears.

Casting her head upward

she sighed,

then she smiled, and smiled

"RrrrrrrrrrR!!" she said

and smiled some more.

By
James A. Porter