2
Veterans of Foreign Wars
by Erica Jeffrey
The young warrior stares, intent,
Forgetting to blink or breathe,
His enemy caught in the crosshairs.
Target acquired—(a whisper in his ear).
A well-trained finger taps lightly, once,
Unleashing a hail of gunfire.
The enemy drops. Dismembered legs trail blood across the dirt. My
son turns from the screen, impassive,
Throws down the game controller, and asks
What’s for dinner.