You close your eyes
See casket flowers
Hear the saying in your head
‘All is fair in love and war’
But what is not
We do not talk about
We only tighten our laces tighter
Fill our sacks to the brim
Weighty with the hopes and dreams
Of all of those who
‘Wouldn’t dare’
But
‘Thank you for your service’
One more body to soften the blow
Atlas shifts
The earth feels heavy
The weight of all you have had to leave behind
And from now on
You continue to
Try and fit yourself (a square peg)
Into society (a round hole)
And from now on
As often as you return
Or don’t
It will always feel like
Oil trying to mix with water
And you wonder
Is it Love or War that keeps you going back.