the soldier [of others, v]

i have a friend
dressed in black and beige
bearing tattered love
like a patch on the sleeve

i have a friend
wearing baseball caps and
combat boots and saluting the flag
with locked knees

i have a friend
tasting of sweat and diligence
whose tireless work is made tired
only by the self

i have a friend
restless in mind and body
whose grief and rage
echo the rattle of the soul

i have a friend
so courteous and careful
who will open the door first
like you are all that matters

i have a friend
walking between you and the world
tipping the hat to your mother
because she is

i have a friend

Edward Hopper, Nighthawks, 1942