A poem about the haunted war correspondent Paul Watson

This poem is from Dan O’Brien’s New Life, which is now available. (You might remember that a coupla years ago, I did an item on his previous book.)

The War Reporter Paul Watson Describes His Character

Feeling like a dead guest on a talk show

Couch with more dead guests and a dead host who

Entertain a studio audience

of the dead, all for the invisible

dead who watch at home. But sometimes at night 

he’ll still dream of life. With so many friends

gone — what could be the reason? His penance

is reporting, but redemption will come

from dropping out, giving up, whenever

he finds the courage.

Image credit: CB Editions