My father once told me
about a time before I was born
when he was in the Navy
and a big war was going
on around the world
and he was sitting in a booth
in a bar with several other guys
and one of them a big bully got mad
at him and said he was going to fight him

My father said he accepted the challenge
but before the other guy could get up from
the table my father trapped him in the corner
of the seat against the wall and hit him
and hit him and hit him
and hit him and hit him

The guy’s head lolled against the table
and everyone in the place stepped aside
as my father walked out of the bar
and back into the war