it's not what you
think. not building
muscles and shooting
guns. not taking
orders & leaping over
barbed-wire.
you're alone &
every day you're
down. the toxins
take your mind
away & weaken the
grasp of your
hands.
you're training to
give your life to the
doctors; to accept the
pains they minister to
you for your health's
sake.
these weeks you're
learning to be humble,
boy, to eat the
dust for good, if you
have to.
that vanity you
wear on your
head is
gone.
we're throwing
you into a hole
that's so
dark
you won't be
able to tell the
difference between
your self &
dirt.
& if you manage to
crawl to the
end of this
training
all you'll
want to remember
is how to
pray.