“I have always been proud of the stars on my uniform.”
She raises her hand to salute him, though the pain in his voice is palpable.
His commitment to protecting his country’s borders is undiluted. He follows instructions in a split second. But the inner reluctance to do so is growing. He sees an offensive war as wasteful, but remains silent in deference to duty.
The stars on his shoulders are hard-earned recognition of merit, cast in metal to last a lifetime. But the Starpainters are taking over now. They glorify people by managing the focus of arc lights. These lights are callous and unforgiving.
They can desert you or darken you at the press of a button wielded by a diffused and invisible power structure, not a commander.
If they don’t see you as a cultural fit, you are as good as gone.
Prosery: Tribute to Gordon Downie
The prompt line
The Starpainters are taking over now
from StarPainters by Gordon Downie
Creative Experiments and More 
Yikes. This really hits home. I empathize with the conflicted feelings of military personnel, forced to follow orders they never could have imagined. A hard hitting closing line. Really well done.
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Thanks so much, Sherry! Much appreciated.
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A very well written and timely piece, Reena.
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Thank you, Nancy!
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I think it is the invisible power structure I am afraid of the most.
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Yes. Because we have a vague idea of what we are fighting against, but cannot see it clearly.
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It must be challanging to following a path of duty when those who commands are in error.
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Yes. One has to execute orders despite a difference of opinion.
Corporates prefer younger employees because it is easier to mold them, rather than someone with an independent thought process.
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Very nice.
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Thank you!
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