Canada's War Poet Now Downrange

Based on recent postings, it appears Suzanne Steele of warpoet.ca is in theatre - a couple of her most recent pieces from the sand box:

48 Hrs. Leave

you see him. in KAF.
on the boardwalk.
where they all go
to catch a waft of normal – a latte, a Tim’s,
a game of dust hockey
blue against white,
maybe buy something
sparkly, or a pashmina for a girlfriend,
a new baby, a wife,
lid a laptop open
remember he has
another life than this
of waiting and fight.

fresh from outside.
body. eyes.
none of him quite there.
only that washed-eye stare
like he’s dipped his head
in chlorine for too long
bleached himself of anything
that he once was
back home in Texas or B.C.
or York or Kandahar.
the war in his head
bigger than that
outside the wire
where he’s got to go
in just a few hours
back to desert and night
back to bayonet, NVGs
rifle, the business,
his other side.

and this short & sweet piece, "Soldier's Words From Outside The Wire":

the sand

the sand

the sand

God damn

Cnd. soldier/ Kandahar province/2009