"The Insomniac on a Military Base in P.E.I."- from The Ruby of the Universe - Dan Lukiv his poem is from The Ruby of the Universe. The title is taken from a line in the final poem, and all of them explore themes related to war. click here to read the others. Insomniac on a Military Base in P.E.I. Bullet-birds, Flashing by a streetlight, Picking off moths. I don't like them, But I did my job in Liberia and Turkey. In our bedroom, I rest elbows on the Lead paint-window sill. "Don't sand that stuff," The sergeant said. "It'll make you lose Your marbles." I take a deep breath; Birds dive out of darkness And then back in: I'd like to Shoot them. My wife stirs behind me: "What are you doing?" "I can't sleep." "Oh." And then she falls back To sleep. Dan Lukiv is a writer, educator, and frequent contributor to canadian content. comments about this article? give us feedback