were you ever in the military?

were you ever in the military
the woman asks
as she fill out my form at
the social security office.
she looks up at
the top of my head,
at the shorn locks
down to a fine bristle.
nope. I say.
just the cub scouts when I
was in the second grade.
but I hated it. the uniforms.
the rules and regulations.
someone always above you
giving orders, telling
you to tie a knot,
no not that knot,
I want square knot.
or being forced to study
which plant was
poison ivy and which plant
wasn't. leaves of three,
let em be, leaves of four,
eat some more.
it drove me crazy
all that discipline, so
I went awol, tossed my
little blue hat, my red
scarf, shirt and pants,
and waddled away,
down the creek
so that I couldn't be tracked.
so, you're answer is no,
the woman at the counter says,
looking up from her
computer screen. yes, I mean
yes my answer is no.
not really. just the cub
scouts, like I was saying.