The Belmont Club has an interesting post on “getting left of the boom”, that is, getting the IED before it gets you.

 

 

Whistling an old Sinatra tune

Ahmed roamed the room

Intent on projects for the day

A few things to go boom

Sinatra songs just filled his head

Only The Lonely filled his mind

His wife, his love since she was twelve

Was doing him unkind

The IEDs were cooking now

Friend Yousef taking care

To see that nothing would go wrong

The danger they would share

His mind’s eye drifted back to her

To her new love, the thief

Who stole her gentle eyes from him

Aazad, the Taliban chief

Come Fly With Me, Aazad had said

In The Wee Small Hours they met

Then Yousef brought him back to earth

The fuses must be set

Revenge and rage filled Ahmed’s soul

His love, his wife, her vow

Aazad the Chief was not at fault

But trysts he’d not allow

Sinatra’s words played loud and clear

He’d live by Allah’s code

The IEDs were ready now

And soon they would be sowed

How many of them do you want

Friend Yousef said at last

And Ahmed strode straight for the door

The time was here so fast

Two Marvelous For Words, he smiled

And shouldered up his load

Just One For My Baby is all I need

And one more for the road