I never imagined the bodies of

Dead Marines; the blood and dirt

Carefully wiped away, the wounds

Cleaned, sutured, before they were

Placed in caskets and escorted

For burial in Texas, Vermont, Missouri.

I never considered lying lifeless

In a casket, in Dress Blues,

A flag presented to my mother.

—Michael Miller

 

Michael Miller’s recent book is Asking the Names, published by Ashland Poetry Press. His poems have appeared widely in such places as the Yale Review, the Kenyon Review, Raritan, and the Sewanee Review.

Also by this author
Published in the 2013-01-11 issue: View Contents
© 2024 Commonweal Magazine. All rights reserved. Design by Point Five. Site by Deck Fifty.