Veterans Day / Memorial Day Poem #242

Veterans Day / Memorial Day Poem #242

Untitled

The shrapnel hums a deadly song that sounds like a crazy boomerang that
won t
return home. I try to make my body small my hands clasped over my head to
protect my ears and neck. Hot waves of concussion blow overhead you keep
your
mouth open so it won t explode your head. You want to scream or shout but
the
fear and dust won t let the words come out. Each explosion pushes you ever
closer to the bone deep terror that comes back in your dreams long after
the war
is over. Each man in his own private hell. After each salvo you dare to
look
around the ravaged ground to see which friends went down. You look at the
ones
going out in body bags with names you don t want to remember and at the
ones
that are screaming as the medics attend them. Then the shells start to
fall
again, sending you back in your hole curled into a little ball holding on
to
your soul and fighting the fear with all your might. The fear never ends
you can
see it ****d and haunting in the eyes of your friends. They have that 1000
yard
stare as if everything inside has got up and went leaving a empty husk of
a
person with one desire, for the shells to stop or maybe live for a few
more
hours. We lay here and endure this hell for a piece of muddy ground just
so we
can give it back when we think we are finished. Men are screaming that
haven t
been hit pushed over the edge into the pits, where insanity sits. Some
never to
come back while others are ravaged for life in one way or other. I
consider all
of them my brothers.

Written from the heart by Harvie Lance
Purple Heart Marine S-2 Scout 1/9 68-69

More Poetry: http://members.aol.com/warlib/poems.htm
Submit a poem: http://www.amervets.com/poems/mypoem.htm


-- Otis Willie (Ret.)
   Military News and Information Editor (http://www.13105320634.com)
   The American War Library, Est. 1988 (http://www.amervets.com)
   16907 Brighton Avenue
   Gardena CA 90247
   1-310-532-0634

   Military Webmaster Site Link Request Form:
   http://www.amervets.com/linkreq.htm

   Military and Vet Info-Exchange/Discussion Groups
   http://members.aol.com/amerwar/share.htm