Agents

who who who woke up to say I didn’t
who who who woke up to say I did
who who raised naked palms before who
who cried whose face was a purple flower
who blessed the soldier fresh from killing
who who who will wear black ribbon
who wrapped grenades round whose waist like a lover
who clipped flesh and laid gauze over
who talked like a tourist while bombs arced around her
who who who flew in flew low flew over
who fired who ordered fire
who who turned away who turned away

Lee Sharkey
“Agents” is from A Darker, Sweeter String (Off the Grid Press, 2008).