I saw it, I sat there and watched.
They were sucked in by the draft,
Riptide undercurrent we all feared.
Commanded by General Hersey
To report, so they reported and
Were told to stand and swear
An oath then were told to count off
By fours. By force of concentration
Tried not to lose count. Number
Threes step forward, “You are now
Marines!” Holy mother of shores
Of Montezuma! Semper shit! What
To do? Fall in. Hope to survive.
--
Bruce Morton divides his time between Montana and Arizona. He is the author of two poetry collections: Planet Mort (2024) and Simple Arithmetic & Other Artifices (2014). His poems have appeared in numerous online and print venues. He was formerly dean at the Montana State University library.