Skip to main content
By Marvin Bell

Of the sleeves, I remember their weight, like wet wool,
on my arms, and the empty ends which hung past my hands.
Of the body of the shirt, I remember the large buttons
and larger buttonholes, which made a rack of wheels
down my chest and could not be quickly unbuttoned.
Of the collar, I remember its thickness without starch,
by which it lay against my clavicle without moving.
Of my trousers, the same—heavy, bulky, slow to give
for a leg, a crowded feeling, a molasses to walk in.
Of my boots, I remember the brittle soles, of a material
that had not been made love to by any natural substance,
and the laces: ropes to make prisoners of my feet.
Of the helmet, I remember the webbed, inner liner,
a brittle plastic underwear on which wobbled
the crushing steel pot then strapped at the chin.
Of the mortar, I remember the mortar plate,
heavy enough to kill by weight, which I carried by rope.
Of the machine gun, I remember the way it fit
behind my head and across my shoulder blades
as I carried it, or, to be precise, as it rode me.
Of tactics, I remember the likelihood of shooting
the wrong man, the weight of the rifle bolt, the difficulty
of loading while prone, the shock of noise.
For earplugs, some used cigarette filters or toilet paper.
I don’t hear well now, for a man of my age,
and the doctor says my ears were damaged and asks
if I was in the Army, and of course I was but then
a wounded eardrum wasn’t much in the scheme.


Marvin Bell, “The Uniform” from Nightworks: Poems 1962-2000. Copyright © 2000 by Marvin Bell. Reprinted with the permission of Copper Canyon Press, P. O. Box 271, Port Townsend, WA 98368-0271, www.coppercanyonpress.org

Source: Nightworks: Poems 1962-2000 (Copper Canyon Press, 2000)

  • Activities
  • Social Commentaries

Poet Bio

Marvin Bell
Marvin Bell was born in New York City. He received his bachelor’s degree from Alfred University, his master’s degree from the University of Chicago, and then entered the University of Iowa for a Master of Fine Arts degree. Bell taught several writers, including Rita Dove, John Irving, and Joy Harjo. His work has received numerous honors. Named Iowa’s first Poet Laureate in 2000, he was on the faculty at the University of Iowa until 2005. In addition to publishing over 20 collections of poetry, Bell also toured with the Rock Bottom Remainders, a band of writers that included, among others, Stephen King and Amy Tan. Bell died at the age of 83 on December 14, 2020.  See More By This Poet

More By This Poet

More Poems about Activities

Browse poems about Activities

More Poems about Social Commentaries

Browse poems about Social Commentaries Get a random poem