|
This Is A Place Of Remembrance
Rats and Cockroaches
Deep within the mind
A lone cockroach lives
Eating away at the sanity of the brain
Eating all the gray matter that can be found
Where the cockroach regurgitates
Allowing this to empty into the cavity
Where the lone rat lives deep within the bowels
And digest the waste
The lone cockroach continues to eat away at sanity
Until it is gone and only the deep dark memories remain
Thus it starts to ingest the insanity
Allowing this to empty into the cavity
Thus the rat is forced to ingest the insanity of the memories
And again regurgitates forming even deeper insanity
The body must endure the cycle
Becoming more and more immerged in the memories of a war of long ago.
When the entire mass of ones being is ingested
The cockroach dies, allowing the rat to eat it
The body gives up and dies
With no further food the rat dies.
Upon death come the worms of injustice
Eating the remains of both and leaving the bile of human misery behind
A new generation of youth is born
Where they must live and eat food grown in this bile
A new generation of soldier
A new generation of misery
Another cockroach, another rat
And the cycle continues
Thus the insanity of war must continue
It must continue to infest the youth
Then again the cockroach and the rat will emerge
Thus this new generation will give birth to another such generation.
©David R. Alexander
August 23, 2003
All Rights Reserved
|
...........when the Sun went down
|
|
The night began moving in
slowly,
deadly.
....moving in.
.......birds rustled in branches of trees
and death held it's breath.
Silence cried,
and tried
to scream.
....and then,
Death
... came
roaring,
....... and alive,
...just before dawn.
CAL
©8/25/03
LJKlaiber |
 The Freedom Wind
Who follows us home?
....(silence}
It is quiet.
The Sun falls toward the West.
Heat,
and anger, and all of
rage, is following our days
as we turn,
and toss,
sweating in the hard night
......that
we cannot escape.
The night of ourselves,
alone,
somewhere between today
and memory.
...the cruel truth of our enemy
coiled,
..striking like a Viper
in the darkness.....and
the hatred
of a restless night.
We awake,
...eyes wide and
screaming!
All is suddenly,
so silent.
The Moon passes above,....
cool and grey,
...riding upon dark blue.
A cold breeze is falling.
Dawn rises like a voice
from home...softly,
sharing the moment,
as a breeze of freedom,
whispering,
...and touching
my face.
Freedoms wind!
Who follows us home?
.....(silence)
Caliber
©8/27/02 LJKlaiber
 The Deros Bird
They were cheering and screaming me away
...and I just fell apart
and cried
Oh God how I cried!
Bird lifted off and all i saw was strong faces'and a wind
that would betray them.
A dark wind that slept at home.
I fought it
and lost
...and cried again
in 67,
at home!
Why? America?
Why?
Why couldn't you just leave us
alone?
©9/02/03 LJKlaiber
DEROS
| DEROS (Date of Estimated Return from Overseas Service) at long last signaled the end of their duties in the war.
The end of a tour in Vietnam?
I question whether it has ever ended. Have we ever returned from that overseas duty? America tried real hard to cover us up all right, but those of us who survived didnt lie down and fade away as hoped. Another war was waiting for us when we arrived home, a war of acceptance.
Not that we gave a shit but hell, even our parents wanted that bone buried. Trouble is we kept digging it up and laying it right on their doorstep for them to trip over. They could ignore Vietnam, but they couldnt ignore the look in our eyes, it scared em and, it scared us. It scared America to the point of rejecting Freedoms Sons because we knew the truth about Vietnam and werent willing to talk much about til recent years.
The bones are still being dug up to this day. The truth shall set some free but in our case it reveals the chains that have held us so long and that is what America is afraid of; having to unlock that old black box of recall, afraid that we might let the truth out of the box for the world to see.
I pray we have the courage to continue to do so. IF they had left us alone perhaps the chains would have rusted away and vanished and we would heal. But it just aint so.
Richard D. Preston
September 02, 2003 |
 Brothers in arms and sisters...
It is said, "
-Broken Bones Are Temporary But Glory Lasts For Several Minutes- "
There is no avoiding war, it can only be postponed to the advantage
of others." ~Niccolo Machiavelli
If there may be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have
peace. ~Thomas Paine
So, complete with battle pictures and music, I've written the poems:
"A Soldier is Dying," and "On Eagle's Wings,"
by Gary Jacobson © 2003
I am hurt my brother
Suffered by grace to see no morning's other
Beheld my last of gloriously rising sun
Sacrificial lamb fallen before bloodthirsty gun
By hatred's fiery breath undone.
I invite you to read the rest of the poem
http://PZZZZ.tripod.com/dying.html*******************
Many Vietnam Vets, frustrated, bricky hot, dirty with
an ageless dirt, tired beyond physical endurance,
weary to the bone, scared, skeptical of
authority that has lied to them too many times before,
boys who had done more than they could in good
conscience do, seen more than they could bare
to see, lost more than they could afford to lose, when
conditions seemed impossibly unbearable, uttered these
painful words that became a common saying...
"It Don't Mean Nuthin',"
http://pzzzz.tripod.com/nuthin.html*******************
Chris Hedges, Pulitzer Prize winner for the NEW YORK TIMES
said, "The most powerful narcotic invented by humankind is war. The
Bible calls it, 'The lust of the eye.' It's that great landscape of
the grotesque. It's that power to destroy."
Will Rogers said in the late 1900's, "Diplomats are just as
essential to starting a war as soldiers are for finishing it.... You
take diplomacy out of war, and the thing would fall flat in a week."
I say, "War is the greatest show on earth! Wars come...and wars
go! There are wars to end all wars...and wars for final victory.
There are Holy wars, and wars to save mankind, to bring them peace
and freedom's way...to destroy communism...to destroy
fundamentalism. Some men are hawks favoring it..some men tolerate
it...some men are doves decrying it! There are more people who have
paid homage to wars ways, seeing or seeking no other way, to answer
with gung-ho pride its call to offer up their all before its banners
of glory, than could fill all the churches in the world. Many
people say there wouldn't be any need for war if people just believe
in God the way they do."
So, complete with battle pictures and music, I've written the poem:
Wars are so different...
yet somehow the same
by Gary Jacobson © 2003
Different wars from beginning of time
Still voice the same common combat rhyme
Borne in raucous fever across different horizons
Boasting of different grisly weapons
Across a score of years
Reminiscent of history's cares
Every one designed to dissipate humanity
Perpetuate the insanity.
Read the rest of the poem, http://pzzzz.tripod.com/differentwars.html*******************
 What Veterans Owe
Hold on to your memories
Grab hold of your dreams
Be a beacon to those left behind
Be strong as hard as it may seem.
Share your experiences
Let the new generation know
Give them all of the knowledge you possess
Keep them as safe as possible now that old you have grown
Give them every bit of savvy
Every bit of experience that may help
Give them every one your gratitude
And a lot of the sanity you have kept.
For we of other wars
Need to help our brave young soldiers
In the battle they will face
Let us not stand in the way like boulders.
We for the most part did not receive
What we have to give
Pass along your knowledge and appreciation
So that more of them may live.
©David R. Alexander
September 3, 2003
All Rights Reserved
|
