Shed

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What do you call this? 
Arrest? 
Abduction? 
Disappear? 

Men wearing the garb of honor
I was a military doctor
I helped proud and sacrificial men 
Year after year
As they gave limbs, family units, time, lives, psyches
Sometimes for democracy
Sometimes for who knows why

Which one is this?
They are giving their strength
Their honor
Their sense of right
For what?
A whiter America?
A less dirty America?
A single language
With nothing worth saying?
Nobody will read poems
If the heart is removed

I am up early 
Keeping my older body in shape
Habits learned from those uniforms
Walking out of the gym
In the country fought for

Is this that country?
Unmarked cars 
Faces covered to protect what?

Boxing up the danger

Like Saddam used to do

My hands shake

My heart confused
I am filming my brothers
Those I should be supporting
To document
Those accused of having none

I've heard of this before
From the grizzled face
Of the Vietnam vet 
The brain aging
Losing some of its fences
And out comes how he 
Killed a friendly
Early in the morning
Just because he didn't like 
His attitude
And he knew 
There would be no recourse

What would be worse

In days to come:

A country that rejects

Again those in uniform

Who thought they were helping?

Or a country adequately cleansed

And purified

Celebrates their service

Where working men

Are boxed up

Shedding crying wives 

And children

To fend for themselves?

In progress

Paul Bunge July 2026

Happy 250th