The moment I pulled the trigger
On the roach spray
I wondered if I had
Sealed the fate
Of my soul
For in that instant
The pair of waving antennae
Changed from insult
 and challenge
To Kilroy
Peering out
From his foxhole
To see if the coast was clear
The unspeakably vile insect
Now a fellow fearful traveler
On life's dangerous road
What seemed a simple matter
An easy choice
No moral risk
Suddenly
In my mind's eye
Grew depth
Shades of gray peered out
 from all angles
Will I now
Spend ten thousand lifetimes
Wearing chitin
Warily feeling out
The way ahead
Gasmaskless
Unarmed
An innocent abroad
In someone else's war

2/1/2009