when jazzed when things go sideways
its usually just a matter a
figure of speech
but this afternoon his computer
screen flirted with him winked went
black and when she returned she was
sideways
her top slipped left her bottom
right
and in the aftermath he was a little disappointed
things didnt go
pretzel
its
middle tortured
the image gone elastic or rubber
likely tho its software or hardware
architecture wouldnt allow such torment and let it off easy
it made him think of the war porn
inciting the country
or at least
those who looked
GIs snapping on-the-ground horror
in real-time and transmitting it back to the States
if anyone thought smartphones
werent the bane of commerce and business and employers inside the States sapping valuable time and resources and
productivity
twentysomethings are twentysomethings
even if they are deployed overseas
in-country
sharing -- “they
wouldnt believe it if I told them so” -- human remains scattered like confetti in the shape
of Lincolns profile on the ruin of a blasted abode wall -- “Comon whod believe that if they didnt see it for
themselves with their own eyes” -- behind them a shadow on the ground near the foot of the wall a second
GI waving a tarp or a scrap of cardboard to mitigate the flies
snapchatting gore until Lincolns face is erased by feasting flies
insects prospered and grew
fat in the Middle East
his singular moment his sudden awareness of
war porn before it had its name came as he walked past Sarges workspace
curiously Sarge had his back to
the aisle
seemed unlike a disabled veteran to
him his back exposed
his laptop laid on the desk return to
the right of the companys computer
Sarge was enthralled
over Sarges shoulder he saw on
the screen a man who was sliced cleanly through like a paper doll from the top
of his right shoulder neatly down to his left hip his head thrown back mouth open his eyes spread wide as if he was startled thats all there was of him there was no blood
Sarge must have felt his presence
and turned: We got us a dead enemy
he asked Sarge how he could
possibly be sure the dead man was the enemy
Sarge replied: If he wasnt the enemy he wouldnt be dead
his reply pure simple
he excused himself and walked over
to the watercooler
he drank more than a few paper
cones filled with cold water before he crushed it and tossed it into the waste
basket
the
bitter bile stuckit wouldnt come off his tongue
1537, Monday,
30 11. 15
2339, Twosday,
1 12. 15
