Basic Training

I can already feel my arms burning, the muscles stretching and screaming, and the growing pains of intense training. The mental tears streaming down my cheeks, they said that there is no crying allowed here. I've got a few friends I brought over with me, not just to increase my rank and pay, but to actually have people I know with me, but in the end we are all comrades. I can taste the blood in my mouth and the sun beating down on me; my skin becomes tan and hard with callouses and sun baths. I can already feel my clothes tearing as I crawl under the barbed wire, I can hear the shouting and yelling of the drill sergeants, I've been practicing for this my entire life, eat as fast as you can, and eat it all. I can feel the freezing cold ice water of a five minute shower dribble down my hot body.
I can already feel the uncomfortable barracks, the bunk beds, the shaved heads, the whining and griping that he’s pushing us to hard. I just keep writing and mind my own, I write to my family, because that’s all I have. I can feel my hands cramping and the lead in my pencil break. I find errors in my paper and I toss it away, just to start over again, I've made it now, flawless, I close the envelope, but do not lick it, because it will have to be looked over, I stamp it and scribble the address and the recipient. I put it in the pile of mail to be sent out. I play some poker with the boys and light up a Swisher, I pass it around with a bit of a smile, it’s grape flavored. It reminds me of my 18th birthday in Algoma, it was cold and I hated fishing, but I went anyways.
I can already feel the dog tags around my neck and the gun in my hand, my starchy uniform neatly pressed and cleaned. I have made my bed and begun to take my leave yet again, basic is now over, it’s been ten long unbearable weeks, but it was worth it, I've got tags around my neck, a pistol in one hand and a doctor’s bag in another. I can’t wait to go overseas, I can’t wait to see the world, but most of all, I can’t wait to see the one. You know exactly who I’m talking about, the one we all can’t wait for, the one we can’t wait to go home to, the one you want to spend your entire life with, but sometimes are too blind to see that they are right in front of you. Yeah, you've made a lot of mistakes in the past, but that’s what makes you who you are today. It’s been hell, but you've made it back, I won’t sugar coat it candyass, but the thing is even though you’re done with training, this won’t be a cakewalk. Here’s your first check, we’re going to make you work for the rest. Good luck ladies, you’ll need it. Light your celebratory cigar and head out boys; it’s a whole new world out there.