Earning the Title

— Clarence Davis

...To be called a Marine,
or to be called a murderer?
Three phases of training, or
three levels of intense hypnotizing?
Trained for war, or more? And i have graduated,
passed on to the fleet of lifeless souls, lifeless
beings, know now how to care or rationalize, see and
speak not, for the title has been earned, and a marine
(machine) must stay well oiled, or be dishonorably
   dis-assembled,
death before dishonor, well maybe...
   when the cause has been
decided, i mean, after all, what title have i really
earned?

ATC 53, November-December 1994