In Iraq

It’s July and I have not

had a drink in six months

except something called Coors

non-alcoholic malt beverage.

Nevertheless, I feel hungover

riding in the Humvee with Doc

and listening to nu metal.

We do not know where we are going,

we are just patrolling.

If I hold my mouth open for too long

my tongue will turn to sandpaper.

Yet, I do not drink water

because my piss bottle is already full

of Doc’s snuff spit.

He smiles at me.

At any moment, something could explode.

         after Raymond Carver’s “Drinking while Driving”