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Freedom is wounded

Jade Sunouchi

Amidst a car bomb detonation in Karbala, we picked him out from the flame pit,
his fingers and limbs seared. To quell the mini fires he wore,
someone dragged him across the street to the nearest shed.
His face was charred like a cement wall scraped of its fa�ade.

He wore no chain with ID. No one guessed at his real name.
Someone called for a makeshift stretcher and the nearest chopper.
Someone splashed him water and screwed his mouth
to the opening of a small canteen.

We fed him morphine and felt for a pulse—a slight thump was enough
to keep the blanket under his chin. Private Freedom was unconscious.
We salvaged a letter to his mother from his utility pocket,
and hoped he would rouse to sterile lights.

One guy tucked the letter to Freedom's mama in his trousers.
When the chopper dust settled, on the radio the Commander-in-Chief
offered his condolences from the Oval Office. It turned out
that Private Freedom had prominent American relatives.

The Chief said that a grateful nation respects Private First Class Freedom.
History is mightiest when we love Freedom. To defend and honor Freedom is a sacrifice worth giving because it is just and good. He promised Freedom will again reign in the name of peace and democracy.

The Chief added that Private First Class Freedom
is a brave soul, worthy of our honor and compassion. His name will resonate
as America's backbone. Our Army's best physicians monitor his vital signs.
We fight for his full recovery.

In the states, one guy watching the news on channel two
wondered when the Chief had given his blood to save three lives.