a little red hat on a little blond head
a painted flag on either cheek
morning sky eyes and denim dungarees
a careless smile at the weak
come now, cub scout, put the barbies down
in ten years, you can play with all the dolls you like
come now, cub scout, don’t talk to that little creature
red-blooded men like their ladies white
step in time, step in time
shotgun on his shoulder
childhood barely over
marching with a hundred of his country’s faithful soldiers
fall in line, fall in line
bring glory to the nation
they’ll rejoice in jubilation
they’ll hail you as a hero beyond imagination
hide in the green, shoot all that’s brown
nothing personal from five hundred feet
a medal of honor for every man down
victory for the commander-in-chief!
blue stripes and muscled arms
put your hands up!
black stripes and absent arms
free the wolf, shoot the pup
you have the right to remain silent
for dead men cannot speak
we are swans of one flock
but when bound in locks,
odile is vicious, odette is meek
white fire in the deep blue sky
red blood ricochets
do you hear the veterans cry?
sacrifice can’t be repaid
a shot heard not round the world
but in the ears of one,
mingled with the foreign screams
of wives and babes who didn’t know guns
but he’s a strong man
he grew up straight, as all men must be
he no longer sleeps
but he stands tall, and nobody sees
dim the cruel burn of day with work
blur the shadows of night with Busch
reach for the peace that war usurped
return to the ghosts ‘neath the fatherly bush
an apple pie from his wholesome little bride
a cherry kiss from his starlet on the side
and a little red hat for the little blond head
who runs along the picket fence to first base
through his father’s dead eyes, he sees no truth
and swears allegiance to the rat race
