19

[saw]

Memorial weekend
sitting in the garden
with a cocktail and a pad
and a pen to document
my state of mind
the evening is stellar
lush, with sounds of summer
my neighbor tinkers
with his motorcycle
seem bikes need a lot of that

A robin doesn't mind much
when he revs it up
and it's no bother at all
for me, I've just removed
my hearing aid
that allows me to hear that bird
most of the time, and also the exhaust fan
in the bathroom, but now
it's dead quiet without my little device
from the Veteran's Administration

and every time I go there
they thank me for my service,
I couldn't have guessed this scenario
when I was 19
on The USS Bushnell
an Electricians Mate
and was listening to rock and roll
turned up.....way up
through my headphones

[judih]

19, a critical age
our choices life-changing
yet the memories and music cling