(Tommie Lee, 82, BOTG, A&C, Castrorum, Kj)

in girum imus nocte et consumimur igni
at night we walk in circles and are consumed by fire
                                                                                 Ten tender mercies:
10. It’s the same backwards and forwards
9. Where I’m a target is classified
                                                     I’m comfortable saying that the United
                                       States Army is continuing to refine both tactical
                         and technical counter-IED measures beyond even where
         we were 18 months ago
8. Retreat comes in the mail

7. Nobody mentions it
                                  I call it brutal randomness because there is no scientific
                            way of telling where the things will land really
6. Nobody is redeemed
                                   I pray not for victory over mine enemies but instead
                          for justice
5. I call it a job
4. If nobody’s deployed, nobody’s forgiven
                                                                  I thank you for what you do for
                                                    us and how you help our country to
                                     be strong in the face of ever-growing chaos
3. Nobody’s name is off the sick list, nobody has been removed from the list
    of the fallen
                      The voice that says are
                      you ready isn’t the same
                      voice that says have
                      you had enough.
                                                      I wanted to know what to do.
                                                      I waited to hear what to do.
2. Nobody can discover anything
                                                       in any vein now                    any automatic


             I submitted my packet
             I’ve been drawn away from my blog by the everyday occurrences of Iraq
             I was given the distinct honor of being
                       the only American to walk in the procession
                       as we handed his body over to his family
finding myself reluctant to plunge my naked head and neck

             THANK YOU!                     as your mind
                       tries to confirm it wasn’t an explosion
                       across the street             in any version now
                                                               any version automatic
                                                               when I spend every waking moment
1.


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