Camouflage

It only takes five minutes

that's all

five minutes to put on the clothes

the shirt

pants

coat

cap

boots

Five minutes

Then you’re standing outside

with twenty others dressed

in the same pattern of

green

and tan

Army Green

Coyote Tan

“No white or black here!”

they scream,

“No yellow, brown, or red,

just Army green!”

It’s a nice thought,

when you’re on the line

But no red?

Her skirt was red

when we met

in dear, dirty Dublin.

the street-lamps were yellow

on the Liffey

where we walked

And she was brown

her hair

her eyes

her skin

the warmest

shades of brown

And her scent was warm

And her voice was warm

And her kiss was warm

And I told her I knew

being a woman

is not algebra

it’s not Xs and Ys

And she was all woman

They think they can hide

all that red

and yellow

and brown

beneath so much green

Maybe they can

But no black?

His hair was black,

but it shone

dark

in those long summer days

between Belgium and Holland

A starry night all my own

And his skin was white

Classroom white

Paper white

Like the rooms we spent

our days in

learning

from those books

But mostly

about each other

Ourselves

My Self.

It only takes five minutes

to put on

all that green

and tan

But it never comes off

not ever

at least

Not easily