gettysburg redux

i've been practicing
dying, no, it's not
what you think, i've
signed up to be a
civil war re-enactor
with my friend jimmy.
he shows me how he
might take a bullet
to the chest, gasping
for air and grabbing
at his heart before
falling dramatically
backwards. i tell
him good, very good,
but perhaps you should
grimace more, show more
agony in your face.
more terror and fear,
it looks like you're
smiling, wipe that
smile off your face,
you goof, i tell him.
he says, okay and
rebuttons his thick
blue coat full of
shiny buttons. then
it's my turn and i show
him my death scene,
although i'm leaning
more towards a flesh
wound. and so i show
him how i get hit in
the arm and it makes
me spin around from
the velocity of
the bullet or
cannonball that
hits me and i fall
into a ravine full
of mud. but you're
supposed to die he
says, while he spit
shines his boots. nah,
i don't want to die
on the battle field,
i want to go to
the field hospital
and meet some cute nurse,
then she mends me
back to health and
i'm okay. then we both
go off together
to my farm, have a
family and grow corn
and stuff. pffft, jimmy
shakes his head at
me. nah, i'm dying
when i get my shot,
then he shows me his
death scene again, but
this time with more
agony on his unshaven
face.