Around the World, Unseen

by Matthew Mobley

Protected, in each other
In the waste of livestock
Sleeping softly; sweetly
Smelling the bitter saccharine
of livestock shit

Side by side; wet, cold? yes, yet
Still feigning more frigidity than necessary
In order to, with homoerotic jocularity, settle in

“Put your arm around me”
“Get under this blanket”
“Rest your head here
On the shoulder that braces
the recoil of my rifle”

Not disgusted by this waste of livestock
Complete, again sweet

Dreaming myriad dreams, living different lives
In the sweet shit of the world’s livestock

Matthew Mobley is a career U.S. Army Infantry Soldier/Officer, Ranger-qualified paratrooper, and former drill instructor with multiple combat tours. He currently teaches military science at the University of Tampa, though he considers the military more art than science. His previous work has appeared in McSweeney’s.