You Think of Warplots

Your professor asks your class to think of paralles between Cold War containment policies and current events. Your professor, thinking of arms, relates a story about finding a gun. You hear him describe finding a loaded .357 magnum in his shrubs. You think of warplots. You imagine the yard angry and building an armory. You imagine the yard growing unmowed and regretting the loss of subtle cultivation. You think of mowing yards. You remember yourself mowing lawns for your father's friends. You remember him teaching you how. You remember him telling you to grab the rumbling handle of the lawnmower and walk in a straight line. You remember his large hands clinched on either side of yours. You remember how minor your hands seemed. You remember how thin your arms were then. You remember your father walking behind you and steering. You remember thinking of your father explaining why crowds booed the Russian wrestlers. You think back to Truman's doctorine on Communism. You remember the Marshall Plan. You remember Truman's metaphor of evil seeds and evil soil and infestation. You think of mowing as patriotism. You think of your father as a patriot.