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by Mervyn Seivwright
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two airmen deployed in shared
—–space, hiked silence, one seeking
sounds for suicide motions.
They shared a deployable trailer home,
—–a 14-foot cube. A CHU. Separated
from their families for 200 days.
Separated in their CHU by wood
—–standing closets, halves splayed with beds
broken springs filled with pricking
at will. Sticking repetitions of reminders
—–from secureness of home’s family
love. Their thoughts compiling weight
filling internal backpack–weighted ghosts
—–they carry. Outside their CHU, fine grains
of sand scratching their composure,
a gritty glass, scaring their self-reflection,
—–one reaching a dark past, before service,
before family. One, isolated his worth
into shadowed path, shameful history
—–haunting his right to live. Demons
in the mirror linger in deployments
far from children’s voices, family
—–foundation. One airman listens for death
echoing sounds, fearing sleep. Sinking
eyelids, each of three nights, spiraling
—–tight-rope. Jolting awake. Hanging
his thoughts in fear. The shadow
behind the closets shivers creaks
the wind carries, neither sleeps.
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Note: A “CHU” is a Containerized Housing Unit—a form of expedient modular housing made from stacked shipping containers.
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Mervyn R. Seivwright is from a Jamaican family and was born in Dulwich, London, England. He has appeared or has forthcoming published works in AGNI Literary Magazine, The American Journal of Poetry, Salamander Literary Journal, I-70 Review Literary Magazine, The Trinity Review (Canada), African American Review, Filling Station Magazine (Canada), Griffel Literature Review (Norway), Allium-Journal of Poetry & Prose, Burningword Literary Journal, Santa Fe Literary Review 2021 Pushcart Nominee, Mount Island’s Lucy Terry Prince poetry contest Second Runner-Up, Voices Israel’s 31st Rose Ruben Annual Poetry Competition Honorable Mention, and has a poem commissioned by the British Museum, Ipswich, UK. Mervyn is an Air Force Retiree that currently lives in Schopp, Germany. Social: https://www.facebook.com/deep.cobra / https://twitter.com/Deepcobra / https://www.instagram.com/deepcobra/ / https://www.clippings.me/mervynseivwright
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