Three declarations of faith
punctuated by distinct sounds.
Radio breaks—“Incoming rounds!”
Thigh high grass, the impatient wait.
Three compressions on the clacker,
teeth rattle, steel balls scatter.
Ambush initiated—“Contact RIGHT!”
Golden wheat snaps at the knees.
Vultures spiral overhead,
a slow dance beneath the sun.
Their tattered wings cast shadows grim—
I stare up and wonder, When?
It could have happened in a flash,
in a blast, in a breath.
But it didn’t.
Doc said I’m alright.
Doc patched me up.
Doc sent me back to the fight.
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Chris Madsen served as infantry man and sniper in the 2/502 Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne from 2003 until 2007. He deployed to Southwest Baghdad, also known as the "Triangle of Death" in 2005 during the height of the insurgency. After leaving the Army and finding trouble processing experiences during his deployment and the many other complexities of life, he began writing as a form of release.
