
‘Army Buddies’ and other poems
By: Carl Papa Palmer

Army Buddies
He starts in on one of his
“that reminds me of when”
war stories he’s repeated
numerous times over time
to us fellow retirees at his table,
but this particular one
he’s busy telling us now
is his third time telling today.
I nod, tent my hands,
murmur agreement,
anxious for him to finish
this oft heard story
which reminds me
of one of my stories
that I need to tell before I forget,
even if we’ve all heard it before.
###
I scream you scream
ice cream push pops
handed out by grandma
after chiseling the forgotten
carton from freezer’s corner
former flavors on wrappers
now blobs of pale frozen syrup
at one with the cardboard
more ice than cream
###
waiting
has it been two days, four,
a week, each day, every day
all day in this room
me sitting
waiting
watching
you pacing
stopping at the window
now taking your regular seat
to watch me pace
look out the window
sit again in my same seat
neither of us speak
has spoken
what’s to say
you wait
I wait
we wait
wait
for the waiting
to end