Not
yet a man
no
longer a boy
he
met her
on
the battlefield
at
the end
of
the war
her
hair short
posing
as
a
young man
on
the opposing side
luck
of the draw
becoming
lovers
at
a
perilous time
and
when
she knew
she
had
to leave
or
fall into
the
hands of enemies
he
was too young
to
understand
what
she had
already
learned
saying
he
would
go
with her
delaying
her departure
long
enough
that
both
were caught
and
though
there was
no
longer anything
to
fight about
his
people
would
not let him
go
to her
standing
before him
young
and lovely
in her filthy
rags of war
their
eyes
on
one another
helpless
when
a
short burst
of jealous
automatic gunfire
automatic gunfire
destroyed
her
in
front of him
past
present
and
future
bloodied
forever
what
was unnecessary
irrelevant.
