In Training

While   you   are away

(somewhere)                                                                training—

7 killed                        an accident                  mechanical failure

over water    then into                         the water                     an accident

debris              and                              remains

washed onto the beach       not identified

where are you?

 

4 killed                        an accident

live ammunition                    mortars                        grenades

4 sweep the field                               1 undetonated mortar                 found

undetonated until                                found

where are you?

 

tanks on the beach                        stumble upon

by accident                         when running                          an accident

where

                                                                                    are

                                                                                                you?

Lisa Stice is a military wife who recently completed her thesis year in the University of Alaska, Anchorage’s Creative Writing and Literary Arts MFA program. Some of her work is forthcoming or appeared in Emerge Literary Journal, 300 Days of Sun and On the Rusk. She currently lives in North Carolina with her husband, daughter and dog. You can visit her Facebook page here and her website here.