Good Soldier

You have to call them sir You have to call them sir When they order you to dropAnd give them twenty When they tell the menNot to be pussies When they yellHey, female! You have to call them sir When they put you on dutyFor the fifth weekend in a row When they refuseTo look you in the eye When they believe you can’t do itBecause you’re a woman You have to call them sir When they call you a disgraceBecause you have tits in uniform When they snicker about how you’reA bitch, a slut, a dyke When they sayNo one is going to rescueA fat girl from the battlefield You have to call them sir When they promise to be discreetIf you can ignore their wives When they’re drunk andThey say: don’t tell When you report it,But they don’t want to ruin his career You have to call them sir Only, you don’t- Have to call them sir.You only think you do.****Sarah Maples is a former Air Force intelligence officer and Afghanistan veteran. In her post-military career, she has held a variety of positions, including Director, National Security and Foreign Affairs for the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Sarah is currently pursuing a Master's in Publishing through George Washington University. She also holds an MFA in Creative Writing (Fiction) from Fairleigh Dickinson University, a Master's in Strategic Intelligence from American Military University, and a B.A. in German and Russian from Tulane University. Her writing has appeared in The Atlantic, Task & Purpose, Line of Advance, Rally Point, and on her veterans resource blog, After the DD-214.