Thick earth-toned paint
Smears across my forehead
And dries beneath my eyes

As it cracks over the surface
I squint and feel it break apart.
Threatening to unmask
my young, unblemished skin

Halloween parade; I blend into the sea
Of Disney princesses and toothy firefighters
Each cut of cheap fabric and harsh Velcro
Disguises or reveals their aspirations
My aspiration? To fade among the faces

Like leaves losing precious pigment
Draining and drifting from season to season
Some clinging to limbs until the very end

Who am I? I am an army man,
Camouflaged in shades of green,
Not wanting to be a soldier
Not fighting for life
Simply wanting to disappear