in their absence

in their absence
we do our best
to fill the empty space
with the right words
to fill in the blank
with the correct answer

we travel long roads
without our men
into pages that offer the world
off to the frayed edges of Iraq
peering into life -
a cloudy crystal ball

in their absence
we find other images
to capture
we find other faces
that reflect

we travel these long roads
without our men
each story writing itself
every line
a compass pointing home