3. The Sun Also Sets - Forming a sunrise (or sunset) this collection of lines touches on the aesthetic of cruising on an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf. One line in this poem owes a debt to Derek Mehon’s ---, “Infidels burning in ancient cities.” The public burning of the Jordanian Pilot, pissed me off. That hedonistic act, as much as aiding in the Global War on Terror, inspired these panels.
2. On Brave Bombs Under Blasphemous Jets - Assuming the form of an F/A-18 fighter jet, this second panel of USS Pastoral explores the times, places, and causes of war and conflict. It also questions the utility of international conquest, especially in the Middle East, and suggests that “Command of the Sea” does not license piracy or arrogance.
1. Spangles Wave - Demanding brand loyalty in tattered spanglish verse, many of the lines in these verses began in the Mediterranean, heading toward the Suez Canal on the way to the Persian Gulf. This broadside focuses on the mighty emotion of a sea passage.