surreal

written 22 December 2009.

i shall try to describe encountering this war. i admit my inability to justly give an accurate accounting of life here, but it will never suffice. personal, experiential knowledge is the only way to fully understand this thing called war. flying into a war zone involves wearing ice gear, complete with kevlar plates and helmet. no one speaks. lights are turned to green. the loud purr of the engines is the only thing heard as wheels touch tarmac, reminding that it will take another week to go home, and that is no option. every building surrounded in concrete. fortified. bleakly waiting for imminent attack to prove their insidious worth. multiple mraps cross my path on a daily basis, in addition to hmmvvs and various other military vehicles. all painted in a lifeless color that eludes to crushed bones and dust. i shoulder my weapon and its appropriate ammunition to every destination. planes and helos fly overhead all day, and all night. roaring engines breaking through the desert silence, reminding us of life outside the wire. dust covers everything, which is better than the mud that is sure to come. i attempt to obtain a routine, my only surviving chance at normalcy. and the only word to describe these past few days is surreal. there is no other word.