The Fall I was Eighteen

The fall I was eighteen

The blue tint of the ocean called us, we went
and never looked back. At Navy bootcamp the
California sun baked us, blistering our ears.
We folded tee shirts perfectly, thin, thick, thick, thin.

We built our bodies the Marine Corps way,
we did push ups knowing that the number of push
ups that a man can do is directly proportional
to what he has under him, pushing back up at him.

We swam like fish, even with our uniforms on.
And rose out of those pools wet and cold knowing
that we could survive. We graduated and went to
ships and manned the rails and swabbed the decks.

We mess cooked, studied hard and played hard.
We left the smell of the ocean in the beds of strange
girls, with their sensual kisses. Boys on the playground,
and if I could, I'd go back to that very fall all over again.