Growing Up
The Marines are swatting the Taliban
on its ass for bad behavior
the way our grammar teacher
swatted our asses for flicking
jockstraps in the back of the classroom.
Our teacher, an ex-Marine,
leveled a sawed-off oar
at two tiny half moons
and whack-whacked,
two swats so the sting
would ring within us
long past the bus ride home
playing grab ass, pantsing,
slapping an upper class man.
The Taliban goes on goosing
the red white and blue,
burning girls’ schools,
stealing elections,
bombing trucks
and we go on swatting,
burning poppy fields,
bombing villages
and the sting rings
all day all night until someone
yanks off his night goggles,
pulls his pants up
and says let’s talk.
Author: John Davis
Photo: Mark Eder on Unsplash
0 Comments