Nine this morning a very young Navy man
unlike the usual people who stand at our door
except for the twice a summer Jehovah’s Witnesses
he said his name was Officer Mullen
Officer Mullen wore Navy White
significant accoutrements bars etcetera
he knocked briskly on our back door
I was looking around the kitchen
for the missing blue cup when Officer Mullen
a please kind of guy
please can I come in and use your phone he said
and then, embarrassed, he showed me Exhibit A
his dead cellphone explained he was in town
for a funeral but he wasn’t sure where
to go and I pointed out the cemetery next door
but Officer Mullen said he still had
to make a phone call and I said OK
and he used our old fashioned landline
and nodded politely before saying
thank you. And then, Goodbye Ma’am.