poem

I read a story
about two marines
boyhood friends
inseparable
Jeremiah and Jared
killed by the same bomb
in Iraq

they joined together
trained together
fought together
they were sent home
together
and buried
together

on Veteran’s Day

they died the day after
the presidential election
the outcome
irrelevant
to them

through my tears
of despair
I imagined beers
they won’t share
in backyards
they won’t have
laughing as the eight year olds
they were
when they met…