Mark Time

I had a friend
who in Fallujah
kept a stone in
his pocket

to rub each time he
felt nervous
By the end of siege
he nearly turned

the stone into a small
bowl for collecting
tears from the death
that stained his eyes

We no longer dream
we no longer speak
but chase imaginations
through insomniatic

streets in our minds
of women and
crying boys
longing to dance

∞

From the Spring 2014 issue of Inquiring Mind (Vol. 30, No. 2)

Jon Turner has used poetry and other forms of creative expression to understand his wartime experience in Iraq. He served two tours of duty in Iraq as an infantryman with the marines, as well as a humanitarian mission in Haiti in 2004. Currently Turner lives in Vermont with his family, working to build sustainable food operations with local farmers while further transcribing his memories with veterans. To learn more, visit WildRootsFarmVermont.com.

By Jon Turner

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