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
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.
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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