In Love and War

From the dim tree of a million trees,

from behind came a man

short and trembling.

His wife and son

and unborn daughter

who would someday be quite pretty

and come to love

another like he...

He who had read great books

or perhaps

had never learned to read...

He who had lain with tender women;

who, as a child, had skinned his knee...

He who spoke differently

but said the same as I

now stepped from behind the tree

frightened.

He hesitated and I

just the second quicker

blindly

and without untrained hesitation

shot him

squarely through the head.