Familiar Faces

North Ossetia border  on the colder side of the compass
Russian Soldier boy
sent by cold en-trucked vehicle against his will
to a land foreign
confused
to what purpose am I here?
He has read about the American aggressors in two wars
and wonders if their boys feel the same,
the same as he.
Could the American beasts he read about in the Moscow papers
be so different
from himself?

He wonders if the American boys hide girls in the armored cars
like his regiment.
She would be on her way any minute;
the woman he had met in Georgia
and had made his mistress.
Her name
Vivianna;
She was sneaking past his friends at the
checkpoint, now.
Heart thumps in his breast
She runs to the vehicle and is hoisted up into the open top by more soldiers.
Alone at last...
The lid of he armored car closes.

He realizes that he is no different than the Americans
at all.