Black clothed he sits there on the sandbags
Eyes covered by a bright yellow bandanna
Seeing nothing.

Boy in black surrounded
by GIs gawking and picturetaking
here buddy, I'm gonna give him a drag on my cigarette
take my picture
willya

Hey George see the gook over there we captured
in the fight last night
really
yeah we slaughtered 'em
well we oughta shoot 'em all--runnin'
around the hills with their machineguns and rockets
they'd kill us any chance they got--and then we
bring 'em in here to this hospital
our own guys don't get any better treatment.

What the hell Mike it's just a
damn kid
god
don't look more'n thirteen or fourteen

Child
Eyes puffy and verging on tears
Playing games too old for any man.

Published in Western Maryland College alumni magazine, 1968