They listened to the wind through the branches
and held each other close.
Beyond the walls of the small weathered house,
night creatures foraged for whetever they could find,
invisible owners of the desolate plains.
Eric Stephenson served in Alpha Company, 2/75th Ranger Battalion from 1982 to 1987. He has taught English at various colleges and universities since 1998 and is the publisher and editor-in-chief of US Represented, as well as a contributing writer.
