Drabbles of a Screaming Eagle

Despite being a priest in Guam, it was rare for the Soldier to pray. There was no time to relax, no time to be at ease. But there were rare moments when he would catch himself in deep thought. Sometimes, deep thoughts could erupt from a simple phrase. "At ease, Soldier," the Spy told him in passing. It was said in mockery after a conversation Soldier could no longer remember. It was the most common phrase Soldier ever heard in the military movies he embraced. However, he could not find it within himself to embrace the phrase. There was always something to remain unsatisfied about. The never-ending Gravel War. The lull and monotony in-between battles. The repressed feelings and gaps in memories he ignored. There was always something to remain uneasy with. He would sometimes feel at unease with his own country, the land of liberty and the epitome of freedom. There were days when even his great homeland of America would put him on edge. There were days when he noticed the lack of justice. He would be all too aware of the broken promises this country was founded upon. Yet he dared not speak it. It was blasphemous enough in the first place for him to think of this. He was a proud American straight from the heartlands! It did not matter he could no longer remember exactly where in the heartlands he was originally from. He would still be a proud American even if there were days he questioned what he was fighting for. It would be better if he stopped questioning. It would be better if he stopped noticing. Life was complicated enough, he didn’t need to create unnecessary problems. May God bless America, the land of the free and the home of the brave. Amen.