Psalm B

A song of Dirty Dan for his father

My father was steeled to hold to his honor—to die for his country—to live not in shame.
The warships selected, including my Dad’s, by later or sooner went slapping their men
With brave labels of left ones or goners— mainland invasion to conquer the Japs—

After the battleships soften the beach, the transports move close to deploy the Marines—
Manning radar in the first wave—Ensign Baggett—A sad good-bye to my would-be dad—

Wu Li masters jumped the invasion with a mighty claim on death and life.

In hush my father-to-be stepped shore in respect of its sullen surrender—

Visioning grimly in one bitter reflex
His washed-up corpse on the sand—
Soil defeated yet cherished by glares of hatred— glares branded by fire from sky.
My father claimed spoil of war—means and threat and symbol of death—
A Japanese Samurai sword.

My father himself joined the Wu Li masters with threat in his keep in symbol
Of threat in the keep of the Wu Li masters hoarded by the victor in war.
With power unmatched and spirit to use none would dare to rise up even to roar—

None but comrades in cold and dank hollows of pride, despising the silver and craving
The gold by means plucked from muscle and bone. As nature is nature on the upside
Or down, the great king in the north raised up fire as hot as the warrant in the keep
Of Dad’s homeland, sounding a terrible, menacing roar.

The weight shifted to wobble the world
As the Ruskees and Yankees arm-wrestled for best
In the glory of what made them great.

My father’s sharp sword in its sheath hung on the wall of “hello” as he boomed
Testings of pieces of fire while the grapplers cried “Ours” and tossed sparks
Into lands not quite neutral called “Theirs” to speak for fire in trust
while supremacy boasted in ire.

Haggai the prophet, now talking in sleep, speaks what he heard in spirit
To arouse wanderers out of their stupor of aggrandizement unto themselves.
‘Forget not the temple! Remember your purpose!’
Roars the message of sovereignty marbled with mandate to chasten our dearth
And promise our plenty—to speak of a shaking of heaven and earth—
Good-bye to be said
To the strength
Of the kingdoms of nations
Preceding the good-bye to all.


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