jaeleslie

Anniversary of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, 1991
(at the Desert Storm victory parade)

The forbidding breathy drone of a few
airplanes in formation, scraping against
the air high above the Capitol dome,
the foolish people happily applaud;
then descending thunder of the choppers
out of Apocalypse Now; the Shriners
clowning in their kiddy cars, two Keystone
cops and their prisoner handing out little
flags; the woman in front of me offered
to pass the flags back into the crowd, which
made a political statement of my
quiet No thank you. Then all the fat men
in their fezzes and green polyester
pants on their grunting red motorcycles,
absurd psychedelic nazis, sitting
in wait. The color guard of old veterans,
just like all the parades I've seen before,
but some real soldiers in camouflage
on their way. A high school band was striking
up the march, up the hill, and I couldn't
wait and stand for it,
their plodding brass and
the bombastic drums.