He laid his field jacket across my lap, its green
arms hugging my knees. Soft with age, perfumed
with time, it was my introduction to Vietnam. How
had it felt? What medals, ribbons, metal letters
once pierced this cloth? Here was a history that couldn’t be read.
Tara Prescott has worked as a medical writer, journalist, actress, poet, and college professor. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in 20th Century American Literature at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California. She received her M.A. in Poetry from The Writing Seminars at Johns Hopkins University and her B.A. in English Literature from UCLA.