"They Say It's Your Birthday..."

The posts titled with song titles/lyrics continue.

It is my birthday today. Cold snap here. Damp and cool. Sky is grey like steel. Although a little while ago a gleam of pale sun - faint yellow like a boiled egg -popped through the clouds. I am stuck in the North of Iraq after a short mission - awaiting transportation. The wind / damp air are gently blowing. A few puddles reflect the sky, which is similar in color to the gravel strewn earth.

It is a bit despondent and run down here, as are a lot of the camps. Old Iraqi military buildings, are adorned with faded murals and Arabic writing. But the run-down and shabby feel of this place suits my mood today.

I will lift my spirits with a coffee which I will get from the DFAC. Although I am not really "down".
I am travelling with Iraqi-American translators. They speak Arabic amongst themselves and with the other translators. I am responsible for their safety, and perhaps they resent the over watch...I am removed from their language and conversations. Today I felt detached from them, as well as the fellow soldiers around me. Just feel more alone. Maybe not lonely.

I am thinking of a girl.

I can't remember last year's birthday. I won't forget this one though. It started with a morning flight in a helicopter. I thought, "My God, what a honor, what a privilege it is to serve on this day, away from home!"

My love for my country keeps me warm.

Three Little Birds...

Above where I live are some tiny -but chubby- little sparrows / finches. They have set up a nest(s) in the few inches between the top of my living space and the corrugated metal on the roof. Today I saw three of them peeking out and looking around. They have small faces with brilliant black eyes and short yellow-tan beaks.
They have such a playful, but self assured air that it is easy to start talking to them. "What are you up to?" or "Hey birds, what are you doing?" They look at you with complete disdain for a moment before they get back to business.

It's a different world for them.

Poem for Today

Hold

I hold you in my arms,

It’s a bad place.

I’ve lost all feeling for you,

Desire flattened like kid’s juice boxes.

Forgive me,

I can’t forget this other person.