Iraqi Army Unit on Camp Striker, Baghdad Iraq

Their colonel met our colonel inside
the TOC to build
a partnership.
His troops waited outside,
lit fires by their Humvees,
cooked chow and laughed.
Sparks swirled as if they conjured a genie.

They acted like they never used
a porta-john before.
Each Soldier filed in twice,
emerged doubled
with guffaws.

They doused their heads with Aquafina,
dumped water cans of Ma-a
on the embers,
settled down to snore
splayed across the hoods.

Their colonel returned at midnight,
motioned.

The Soldiers scurried,
Humvees coughed,
pulled out
and left behind

black ash pits and packs
of empty MRE Halal,
crushed water bottles

and in the latrines

fecal graffiti –

FUCK U.S.
AND ALL UR MOTHERS!