for lt. col. james b. channon
onward plastic soldier / stretching as toward peace / holding on to mother earth / reaching for the sun / atlas upside-down / head full of dreams / canteen full of horchata / yoga joe in the headstand pose / trading his m16 for a yoga mat / pocket full of shells for pockets full of rain
lieutenant colonel jim channon / commander of the first earth battalion / stands on the horizon / shards of the moon melting behind his legs / the order is light and sound discipline / in the twilight before battle / meditating on his enemies
bring in the chai and the crumpets / in the waiting we learn / we fear the silence and we fear ourselves / trained as monsters devoid of emotion / bayonets at the ready / to kill without mercy / off with their heads drill sergeant / blood makes the green grass grow / the smell of patchouli in the a.m.
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Bryan J. Pitchford enlisted in the Virginia Army National Guard as a 92G Food Service Specialist. He later commissioned as a Logistics Officer on Active Duty. In 2017, Bryan earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. He has been writing poetry since 1998.
