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by Alan Yount

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for Dale Palmer, 1950-2018.
VA Medical Center, Columbia, Mo.

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you were in the army infantry
in vietnam and thailand.
I was air force.

after we retired
we could go boating
any afternoon
we wanted to.

the missouri river
was a lot quieter
than in the mekong delta:
which seemed as it was
on the far side, from our world.

dale once said,
“things were different
during the war.”

“everyday … I thought
I might not come back.”

after a pause, he said …
“you know me …
I did my best out there:
all I could do.”

as we floated
by a long sandbar …

two large blue herons
lifted up,
in the quiet, of the early dusk.

as we floated by
we could see
where their footprints
were left in the sand.

***

you said
with a sure feeling:

“today, we should
be out fishing & floating
the missouri river, as we are.”

you said with
another grin & laugh:

“we are doing exactly
what we should be doing
in this moment …
just …right … now!”

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