Regime Change
by Francine DuBois
"Soap is a tool of peace and a weapon of war."
(Procter and Gamble ad, Saturday Evening Post, 1944)
In the Persian Gulf, the soldiers are asking for baby wipes,
And you're sitting there watching Ghostbusters II,
The pink and purple slime reminiscent of shampoo.
(Speaking of which, swimming once a week
In the pond out back is not good hygiene. No wonder
You don't have a job.)
Three years ago, you mentioned that you might join the Army,
It might give you some purpose in life. I wish you had gone,
That you were overseas, becoming a man in the desert.
Instead, your butt is still on the couch, eating popcorn and
Watching the war like it's a Clint Eastwood marathon
And I'm every which way but loose.
Francine's Version -- Hezekiah's
Version
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