My Caravan
The Invasion of Iraq, 2003
By: Shawn McCann
The morning is like a funeral,
somber and still. The face
of death fresh in everyone’s mind.
Words turned to breath on a page
to say our goodbyes. Rain clouds
bursting, the ground soddened,
rays peering through gloom.
The humid air blanketing
like Arkansas in June. Savoring
this uncrossed line in the sand,
my feet sink into the silky earth,
boot prints will be all that’s left of me.
The path to war smells like oil and rust,
rocking the metal caskets, all covered in dust.
Shawn McCann is a writer, husband, stay-at-home dad, and a disabled combat veteran who lives in Los Angeles, CA with his family. He served four tours in Iraq and writes about those terrifying moments that won’t leave him alone. You can find his work in the Nude Bruce Review, The Raven Review, The Wrath-Bearing Tree, and Abandon Journal with more on the way.
Artwork Source: “Sand dunes,” unknown photographer. In the public domain.
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