on land

on land

assigned to my old hometown a few months until discharge
cruising familiar streets with shipmates down island avenue
blasting songs from motown in youth’s complete disregard
cut across imperial aim at the gates beyond the ocean blue
days spent in the machinist’s shop crafting and casting dies
nights on the town an old ford falcon convertible roof down
drive from car hop to car hop telling pretty beach girls lies
hoping to strike a right chord in the muffler’s ragged sound
daily morning comes so early the chief’s raw raucous growls
call reveille hit the deck rise and shine hit the goddam deck
cold green tiles stand blearily shower slippers dingy towels
shit on a shingle shepard’s pies sour coffee tastes of neglect
six weeks left in a dead drudge ensign wants me to reenlist
but i’m out of here i won’t budge never again to take a risk