We are herded into a round room splattered with dark purple blood.  I am
looking down on myself.  Rat-a ta-a -tat.  Machine guns dispense their
rounds.  Our glorious battle ships in Pearl Harbor blow up and sink in
oil and flames.  2000 men die that day-many trapped inside their vessels.
Three men live for several days:rapa tat tat tat tat.  Then quite.
 
I think that we are supposed to paint this room white.  But did we not
just do that?  Tat a ta tat a ta tat.  Machine gun amo spatters all around
us.  Do not eat McDonalds fries.  Not vegetarian.  Soaked in cow fat.
Class action suit.  No more ice cream cones.
 
A`a`a`a`a`a`a`a`aRepeat staccato fire.  Must move feet.  escape pain.  The
Admiral who watches his fleet sink at Pearl Harbor is grazed by a bullet.
Wishes it had hit his heart.  Rat-a-tat-a-tat- I am looking down on a room
of drifting people in a circular room.  The machine gun fire stabs into my
leg.
 
Prick-sting-stab-snip-prick.  The sniper jolts me out of my deep sleep.
I reach deep down under the covers and grab the string bean bone with the
bird fur still attached to my ankle.  She wriggles wildly in my grasp.
ee-ee--ee-aa-AA`AA`EE`EE`.  She rattles off her indig-nation.
 
In the breaking dawn, my eyes slit open to behold The Extreme Alarm Clock.
Hovering in my hand above my sleepy head is Mini-Me.
 
So many children--18 or 19 years old killed in wars.  TRained to be
killers, defenders.  Tough swaggerts --been through hell men: How many
call out for their mothers in a child's high pitched voice with their
last gasp-their last thought?
 
Will we ever paint the blood off the walls?
 
I awaken with tears spilling down the sides of my eyes-soaking into my
pillow, and kiss the waspish Miss Mini-Me all over her mini-scule face.
Time to begin my day.
 
For our children-everywhere- my prayers this Memorial Day
 
That you find God in your heart and in your lives:
 
"If I go up to the heavens, you are there
If I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
If I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
Your right hand will hold me fast. "
 Psalm 139:8-10
[Posted in FML issue 3431]