Paul said he was never not thinking
of killing someone—an unintended consequence
of his time in the U. S. Armed Services.
He remembers writing Die!
on each of his bullets as he loaded his magazines,
even though he knew many of his bullets
would miss their target.
Paul kept himself from killing civilians
by imagining a war against an extra-terrestrial enemy
that had no ability to appear in human guise.
As current world tensions increase,
he realizes he might be asked to designate
some political state or ethnic group the enemy.
Maybe it will be an old time designation, like a religion.
Paul lets his mind go one by one through the administrative,
the legislative, and judicial branches of government,
but sees no extra-terrestrial enemies in disguise.
copyright © 2019 Kenneth P. Gurney
