Deserter

Everywhere there’s
a war, anywhere
there’s an enemy 
there’s war so therefore
anywhere, everywhere
is war.

Find your front
and stand. Find your flank
and stay wary. Find your 
rear guard and stay flexible
so that doesn’t become
a second front, the enemy 
is everywhere, anywhere. 

You’re so tired. It’s all
tired. Nothing is
keeping you here
except fear and fatigue
and the knowledge that
there’s nowhere to go where
you won’t be surrounded
by enemies including
past comrades as tired
and as ready for an end
as you are. Everywhere’s a war,
anywhere there’s an enemy
there’s a war so everywhere
there’s a war — everywhere but here

on your path, under your feet,
wherever you lay your body down
after walking away. It’s a hard choice —

they’ll hate you for making it —
it’s all you have left to you —
choosing where you’ll be buried and
not letting someone else
choose your boneyard. 

So, in the middle of the battle,
you go, you’re gone, 
but you were gone long ago,
truth be told. Most of this war
was epilogue, truth be told.

Most of this life, truth be told,
was about wanting to walk away
from a war.