Warrior Haiku | The Summer

This poem has rattled around my brain for an awful long time, yet I found it to be one of the most difficult to put to paper. As Memorial Day approaches so too do the memories. For me the nights became better when I met my Zena, and even with her gone, my nights have remained better. Some of these memories still come but they are like an old comfortable shoe now. You know the pair you can’t wear anymore but you don’t want to throw away. I still rise to meet the dawn daily but now instead of cursing the night I greet the day with thanks.

So I dedicate this to those who still sweat in the night, Come Home my Brothers Come Home, we’ll rest in time when it is our time. God Bless and Come home you have good things to do…

Note :

A Ghillie Suit is a Mesh covering that we weave grass and leaves into for camouflage, a well done ghilliey is a 10:1 advantage in the night, maybe even better.

“Sinh ra tại Bắc Các Để Die Miền Nam” is the phonetic Vietnamese for “Born in the North to Die in the South” A tattoo that many of the NVA wore with pride.

“đội’” is Vietnamese for Officer

The Summer

Black Face Cammo

Hard Days make the Good ones Better

I am the Night

New green on my ghille

Hard Days make the Good ones Better

I am the earth

Sweat rolls slowly down my spine.

Hard Days make the Good ones Better

It tickles the hair in my crack,

Not a move or a flinch

Hard Days make the Good ones Better

I am the steel

Down Truong Son Road, forty come

Hard Days make the Good ones Better

Uncle Ho’s Nephews to my Gun

Ammo and Rice carried to the fight

Hard Days make the Good ones Better

Not on my watch, Not this night

Sinh ra tại Bắc Các Để Die Miền Nam

Hard Days make the Good ones Better

I am your Destiny

Are we Ready?

T-Bone?- Check

Whiskey Bone?-Check

B-Bone? -Check - 8 Bags Full (Claymores are ready)

D-Bone - Check J - Bone I've got the point in Sight

Hard Days Make the Good Ones Better

We are Ready

Forty ‘gainst 5 in the night

Hard Days make the Good ones Better

Odds seem unfair

See the đội’s eyes

Hard Days make the Good ones Better

Center Chest first Target

I am Shiva, I am Death

Hard Days make the Good ones Better

I pull the trigger

Cool Breeze in the night

Cooling the skin under my sweat

Thirty years later

True it has Been

Hard Days make the Good ones Better

But what about the Nights??

Epilogue

A special note to family and friends of those who serve. These next words read harder than they are said or thought. But please realize, you cannot “understand” these things if you have not been. If your soldier is having a hard time find a way to just love him or her, and point them to understanding, through the organizations that help and have the people that have been there like the VFW, The American Legion, Vets for Vets, DAV and the VA. Gently point the way, for many just the association with fellow vets can be the catharsis they need. Please accept my heartfelt thanks and may God Bless those who stand beside and behind those who serve, you are a national treasure.

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