The corpsman whispered, “One of those terrorists is here.” I rounded the corner, expecting to see the face of evil. Young enough to be my son, you lay shackled on a gurney. Face ashen, body not yet man-sized, you looked like one of us. How had you become a threat? Had an elder seen youContinue reading “Front Toward Enemy”
Monthly Archives: November 2023
Questions
My grandmother lived two doors away when I was seven. I loved to visit and did so often. One afternoon, on her way to town, my mother pulled up in front of Nana’s mailbox. “Get in,” she shouted. I walked to the passenger side of the car. “Wait, I forgot something.” I ran back toContinue reading “Questions”
Kuwaiti Exchange
The sign on the door reads, “Please keep closed. Air conditioning is on.” Entering, it hits me. A kiosk of keychains. We had not been inside a building for months. A shelf of sneakers. Many had lost legs, feet to IEDs and shrapnel. A carousel of chocolate. It’s 130 degrees. Watches. Only if they canContinue reading “Kuwaiti Exchange”
Facing the Philistines
In the Valley of Elah, two armies faced one another: the army of the Philistines, and the army of the living God. From among the Philistines, a booming voice raised a challenge: “Choose a man for yourselves and let him come down to me.” When the Israelites saw Goliath, the source of that challenge, theyContinue reading “Facing the Philistines”