Beats us to the draw,
beats us to the punch.
Like there was a law,
Not some humdrum hunch.

First in the chow line,
and first at mail call,
first at the battle front,
at the point of attack.

First in the mess hall,
always first in line,
snarfs, then barfs it all,
chows down his and mine

Beats us to the punch,
scramble as we may,
Empties the punch bowl,
last drop slurps away,

Out to lunch, not all
there? That's a hahaha,
Always there. Awol
anything to chaw.

Absent without leave
that means--as if he'd
leave (we disbelieve)
sans his face to feed.

That I'm better versed.
Everybody knows.
In the ins not worst,
the outs by a nose.

Now I'll have to scrunch
down or get punch-drunk
from all the low blows
that funky foe throws.

Carve initials in
the trunk of a tree?
Before you begin,
Kilroy's you will see.

That killjoy Kilroy!
Busts a gut that boy,
Must be the firstest
and with the mostest.

Oh, yeah, sure, you bet!
You take the high road,
you take the low road...
He there first will get,

took both roads before
(built for the higher up)
an outhouse indoors
for the brass shaped up.

The first high up out
asks, "Who's this Kilroy?"
Could he of checked out
Lumber as a boy?

An inspector, some claim,
in a lumber yard,
and chalked up his name,
as on a score card,

like bragging "been there,
done that," big thing for
him, you, know, and where—
on boards indoor and outdoor.

He carved "Kilroy," just,
as is well known, that
dogs fireplugs mark must,
and you know with what.

Do not take amiss
the fact that it rimes
with words like... kiss,
and another oft'times.

Words starting with "a,"
I plan to address
in detail. Amiss,
for instance and, yes,

Don't misconstrue this
as "a miss," a mis-
conception the which
I beg you to ditch.