Beowulf: A Poem by David Rogers

He stood in front of the Marines’ recruiting
office at the mall
wore the uniform of the few and the proud
handed out business cards
brochures
I thought the dragon did you in
I said
taking a card
I have no interest in joining the military
but I find it best to be polite to people in uniform
everything’s easier that way
Not quite he said
We get great medical care in the Corps
if there’s one thing Uncle Sam knows how to do
it’s to keep a fighting man on his feet
I took a brochure too
kept going
didn’t ask about Grendel and his mom
I guess even he’s tired of that story by now