Enlistment

I was chosen for my knowledge
Of languages, and a stony look
That passes for bravery or strength,
But I wore my father's clothes,

Spoke of books I'd never read,
And overstated my abilities. When
They called me "boy," I didn't
Flinch. I cursed in my mother's

Dialect. They grabbed me, pried
Open my mouth, and one said,
`At least your teeth are adult."
Then they burst out laughing.

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Copyright © 2011 Joshua Edwards All rights reserved
from New Orleans Review
Reprinted by Verse Daily® with permission