thank you for your service

did you ever serve
in the military

she asks, as I fill out the form
for

a passport to escape
this country

while it burns and changes
for the worse.

nope, I tell her.
I was in the cub scouts for
a few weeks,

but went over the hill.
the rules
and regulations.

the uniforms and tasks
like
tying knots

and making key chains
out of strips of colored plastic

was killing me.
I went over the hill after

one meeting of cookies
and milk.

ducked out to use the bathroom
and took off
running

never looked back.