Their footprints
registered as signs of war.
A shepherd
recognized the strut
the bent
and broken grasses.
A roan horse
followed Paul all the way
back to the homestead
then waited at the stable door
for Paul to open it
and let the horse in.
Paul removed
his saber and scabbard
hung them
over the mantle piece
where his
West Point diploma leaned
against a mason jar
that contained brandied peaches.
Without a fistfight
or any back talk
Paul declared
the war over
though he never informed
the other side.
copyright © 2021 Kenneth P. Gurney
Umflop 