He dropped out of school
and he didn’t know why.
And then he joined the Marines.
And they trained him.
And they sent him off to war
and he didn’t know why.
And he did his job.
And he came home.
And they praised him.
And then he shot himself
and they don’t know why.
Author’s Note: First published in the 2011-2012 edition of the San Diego Poetry Annual.
Terry Severhill has been writing for almost half a century, mainly poetry but the occasional short story or essay will occur. He is a Vietnam Marine combat veteran and many of his poems reflect this. Retired from the construction industry, he lives in Vista, California where he writes and appears at several spoken-word venues around San Diego county. His work has appeared in various college newspapers and most recently in several volumes of the San Diego Poetry Annual. He is currently awaiting publication in a couple of online zines.
A Quiet Courage 