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VIETNAM  WAR  POETRY
​
BRUCE GAUGHRAN 

​​                        Will I Ever Find Some Peace 

                        You tolerated the monsoons, mosquitoes and the smell
                        You learned to accept the snakes, leeches and jungle-rot as well
                        Even though you were awarded the Bronze Star
                        The cursing cries of the wounded left a lasting scar

                        The jungle was a foreign world with a canopy that hides the sun
                        Some villages were peaceful places where you could go and have fun
                        But it's hard to unwind where children play and Nuc Man brews
                        With Charlie always lurking nearby you can't afford to snooze

                        You trusted your senses because they helped keep you alive
                        But only by accepting death did you emotionally survive
                        You didn't like what you were becoming – it was disturbing to say the least
                        Wondering if life can be normal once you've unleashed the beast

                        I visited the Vietnam Memorial some twenty years ago
                        The haunting black granite monolith tried to steal my soul
                        As my fingers traced over the chiseled names of men I once knew
                        Feelings of futility resurfaced along with anger I couldn't subdue

                        Even though the flashbacks are not as volatile today
                        The memories never disappear – why can't they just fade away
                        With visions of those distant moments still vivid in my mind
                        Will I ever be able to leave those thoughts and emotions behind 


                        by Contributing Poet  Bruce Gaughran   Copyright © 2015 
                        VWP 2015     First published in  VietnamWarPoetry.com 
                        Bio:  Bruce Gaughran  has written both fiction and non-fiction stories for over twenty years.
​​                        He has published 2 Fantasy novellas in the Parthinian Chronicles series: Banished & Prophecy.
​
​​                        Bruce also published books containing five of his short stories: Brown Water Red Blood 
​​                        (a trilogy of his experiences as a member of the Mobile Riverine Force in the Mekong Delta
​​                        Region of Vietnam) and TROUBLE (a Justin Seaborne duology).
​​                        Short stories published in magazines include: Living and Dying at the Sam's Club, 
​​                        The Age of Innocence and A Cat’s Tale.
​​                        Bruce has been working on Book Three of the Parthinian Chronicles.
​​                        He maintains two blogs: The Writer's Corner (his author's blog)
​​                        and Living with Kennedy's Disease (a blog of inspirational and educational articles
​
​​                        for those living with health issues).
                        Bruce lives in northern Georgia. He is a member of the Chattanooga Writers Guild.
 ​
 

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