The sun shines upon my face.
I take little heed,
as I'm in a hellish place.
The firing stops
rather abrupt.
I see the forest suddenly erupt.
The flames climb high
in the sky.
And a searing heat
washes by.
Finally, at last,
it's a napalm run.
Maybe they'll take out
those Viet Cong.
We've been holding them
here for days
While the gods of war
decide their next plays.
Half the company is dead
and the other half's in bad shape.
We were pinned down
and couldn't escape.
Finally our backup has arrived.
If it hadn't,
we would surely have died.
Helicopter gunships swing through
like larks.
Heavy machineguns rip through the forest
looking for marks.
The choppers land
with their 60's belching smoke and fire.
We grab the wounded
and splash through the mire.
Out in the open,
there's no place to hide.
We climb on board,
come on, let's go, let's ride.
Once in air,
I count the wounded
and make a mental list.
Then I turn my attention
to all the dog tags in my fist.
Half a company,
gone for a country that they held dear.
Most were so young
they couldn't even buy a beer.
Tell me,
do you think it's right?
That mere children
were made to fight.
Skeletons in My Closet
the Burning of Mi-ling
The skeletons in my closet,
they haunt me one by one.
The skeletons in my closet,
they will haunt me till my life is done.
The skeleton of the intelligence,
which we did not doubt.
The skeleton of the intelligence,
which didn't check things out.
The skeleton of the general,
who said take the village on the hill.
The skeleton of the general,
who ordered us to go and kill.
The skeleton of the women and children,
that we accidentally fried.
The skeleton of all those innocent souls,
that shouldn't have died.
The skeleton of the government,
which told us to shut up.
The skeleton of the government,
which cleverly covered it up.
The skeleton of me,
with this secret that I keep.
The skeleton of me,
as I sit here and weep.
An Autumn Breeze
An autumn breeze is in the air.
Patches of gray fill her hair.
How long has she waited for him to return?
How long will it take her to learn?
He went off to war for the sake of honor.
What will she tell her new son Connor?
On the day that Connor turned three. Mommy, why won't daddy come see me? Your father is a patriot through and through.
If he could, he would come home to you.
On the day that Connor turned four. Mommy, when will daddy come through the door? Your father is a patriot through and through.
If he could, he would come home to you.
On the day that Connor turned seven. Mommy, has daddy gone to heaven? Your father is a patriot through and through.
If he could, he would come home to you.
Connor grows up and his mother falls ill. Mom, I don't think dad will come like you say he
will. Your father is a patriot through and through.
If he could, he would come home to you.
An autumn breeze is in the air.
More patches of gray fill her hair.
How long has she waited for him to return?
How long will it take her to learn?
He went off to war for the sake of honor.
Now all she has left is her son Connor.
by Donnie Gillespie
... who is a computer technician and freelance writer of fiction
and poetry, with previous work appearing in his local area.
