portegys (11/13/82)
A long time ago I had a mess sgt. that this
is about.
Seal-a-Meal
Sgt. Pepper, we called him.
A man whose options had closed and opened
Like the elusive blinking lights
Of a mid-summer field of fireflies.
And reeling after shadow
After shadow
Had left him here with pepper can in hand.
No more pepper! We said in a line.
And all he saw was a line
Of straight white beautiful teeth
Still awash in milk.
We watched for signs that he did hear.
A change in peppering was just one.
But none came:
He still peppered the same
Limped the same
Sought out prostitutes the same
Played gin the same.
And we still washed his burning offerings down
With gallons of milk
And wished at least for his vengeance.
Tom Portegys