Stranger Unknown

“Automatic Steel, yep.Got a four day pass coming up with that one.Sergeant said, ‘We need a new motto.’I said, ‘No problem, Sarg, but what do I get out of it?’‘A four day pass.’‘Perfect, I got it for you. Automatic Steel!’‘That’s good, I like that.’‘Thank you very much, Sir, see you next week.’Piece of cake, that’s how I got a four day pass.”

Gloating pride, from easy work,But I don’t understand how he reduces 3 Iraq tours to a piece of cake.Nor do I get his claims of holographic moons or suns.Now she’s chiming in about how souls are recycled,To which he retorts, “Nothing new under the sun.”But there is no sun,And somehow deja vu is present because we already lived this life before.No worries though, because free will keeps us going.

She speaks again:“I feel like everytime we work together, we always draw the same conclusions.”“Yes!” he yells, “Because we’ve already lived this life before!”

In the background, with my fist full of branches, I think:“Maybe you guys never learn new things to discuss.”

But these are just strangers I have to play nice with,To keep the peace in my work space.

With lessons learned from men who believe the holocaust was faked,Or women who react aggressively towards any constructive criticism,As if it’s a personal reflection of her humanity.

Take a deep breath,And listen for the answers you seek,Instead of searching for the next question to manifestIn an endless quilt of subpar intellectual competition.

Automatic Steel.That’s how he got his four day pass,The easiest thing he’d ever done.