of the eastern front

alfred
tells me of astral bodies,
of mary baker eddy, and being
a 17 year-old
tank gunner
on the eastern front.
of being brainwashed by the third reich.
he eats nothing that's cooked,
he has stopped counting the years
for age means little to him.
he smiles mostly,
showing two teeth
like a mischievous chipmunk.