i hear it all the time

freedom isn’t free

and i know first hand that it is true

all those who served before me, the ghosts that walk with me, and the ghost that is me

the training is indicative that U may be one too – a ghost

fire in the hole, fire at your own doggy target, hand to hand combat

and then U’r in

there are gangs, they say they fight for freedom too, though most are fighting for a different  kind of freedom

we are though, what some people call gangs, and then there is that what the gangs call – the police gangs, and they too, are said to be fighting for the freedom of all the citizens to have their freedoms aside of gangs that are intimidating, and committing crimes against them – and which gang are they

there are the casualties, the atrocities, and the ever invasion of civilities of a city being taken, of a people being mistaken for what they are not – and discarded their wish to live free the way they want to

there is the time that we go from this Nation to another in hopes of staying the liberties at hand – these – the Marines, Navy, Army and Air Force too,

the price – so heavy, as the hand that has been said to be dealing it

Big Brother, and his agenda, maybe soon it will be her agenda too, like, big sister

or maybe it will take another turn toward even more civility, like the Princess Di who also fought for the freedoms of others, and there are other figures too.

we never know the depth of the price of freedom until we go deep into the stories of those whose blood was shed, whose limbs were torn and blown off, whose heads were decapitated whose blood is still running down the streams to the rivers, the lakes, an ocean filled full of blood and body parts

do we count just Americans

No

for freedom belongs to a world of people

and a world of people did they pay

did they sing songs in the frantic hand of terror

did they joke and play in the nervousness of never having another breath to breath

did they find lovers to make love with for the tomorrows sun to never shine upon their skins again

freedom, the price thereof is counted in the catastrophes not yet written and those that have been found, and there are many more not yet written, many more than any have read, watched, listened to and observed

the price of freedom is still to be tallied

shogun in Dragons Belly – skid row L.A.

12:56:41 on march 18th 2014

i came in about 15 minutes in, and this was the first time that we had a half an hour. with a writing Prompt by Vietnam Veteran Harvey (what is the price of freedom) , and we sit with him and Eric, Adam, our fearless leader Leilani, and myself, and we missed our first Woman Veteran Terre !

and from my mind comes the words – where everyday – is crack day where i stay – yeah

on the streets of skid row L.A., some day i shall make more out of it!