During the American Civil War
there was a standoff somewhere near
Shenandoah where battalions of
the two armies stood behind wooden paling
merely a couple hundred yards from each other.
Each side awaited the initial artillery volley.
Every man stood in anxious motionlessness,
fearful that a hand swiping the sweat from
their faces would trigger a lead response.
As the Yanks and Confederates eyed each other
through squinting manly eyes, two cashed-out
dogs ran into the center of the battlefield and proceeded
to screw. Both sides erupted in harsh laughter, cheering
the ragged animals on. A brief unified respite.