The Ballad of Private Lynch

deadline poet

By Calvin Trillin

This article appeared in the July 7, 2003 edition of The Nation.

June 19, 2003

Preferring death to getting caught,
She emptied weapons as she fought.
Though shot and stabbed she didn't flinch.
She battled on, did Private Lynch.
Or did she?

Though they could see that she was hurt,
Iraqis treated her like dirt.
They kept her in an awful place,
Ignored her wounds and slapped her face.
Or did they?

By night our special forces made
A daring, dangerous rescue raid.
And, with a withering attack,
They snatched their wounded comrade back.
Or did they?

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About Calvin Trillin

Calvin Trillin is The Nation's "deadline poet." He has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1963 and has written the syndicated weekly column "Uncivil Liberties" since 1986. He has authored many, many books, including Tepper's Not Going Out and Deadline Poet: My Life as a Doggerelist. more...
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