Whiskied uniforms swayed
x-raying her
oscar-worthy ass
charring Romeo to bravado—
the Fox trotted out
to limb the alpha kilo by kilo
but Romeo popped the charlatan first
in his delt
then limed his papal jewels—
indigo blood
rusted
mikes belted "Zulu" ousting the victor
without question beckoned
by Juliett's echoes—
a novena of sierran snow—Romeo
engulfing Juliett
Juliett
engulfing Romeo
in sheets hotel-soft
they tangoed
yanking up the sun

__

Early in Officer Candidates School I had to shout my last name using the NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) phonetic alphabet—Golf Alpha Romeo Alpha Romeo Delta—before crossing a rope bridge. Today I find myself still using it anytime I need to spell my name, especially over the phone. 

This poem emerged from an attempt to hear the spirit behind those letters. And what I heard was Shakespeare. It started as a sonnet (of course), but it broke down and apart into its current form only after I reread the play, which I had not read since eight grade. The drama claimed the piece. 

For more on the NATO phonetic alphabet check out this [infographic].