The value of any award is the value of the giver, which is why decorations bring little respect in the U.S. Armed Forces today.
“Voilà la Plaza and an array of vertical ties
Uh-oh Bomb-squad vans parked outside
I feel renegade and clairvoyant
amidst the secret securities
with doodads in their ears
Maybe it’s the President again
outside the St. Moritz
I pause at the lovely liatus
The sweet autumn clematis”
Maggie Nelson | “Carnegie Hall”