​​Nuances of War 

                                           In the sad and varied nuances of war,
                                               and the rippling effects of that man-made hell.
                                           Come stories that you might only hear,
                                                from those that were there and could tell.    
                                                                                                                             
                                           I don't believe I ever met the guy,
                                                Although he lived in the hootch next to mine.
                                           At a military base camp near Cu Chi.
                                                 In the Republic of South Vietnam.

                                            All I heard were the stories,
                                                  about this sad and lonely man.
                                            But I know a bit about psychology,
                                                  so I think I kind of understand. 

                                            The night before they had brought a woman,
                                                  into the hootch to share.
                                           But I guess when it came to be his turn,
                                                   what he needed just wasn't there.

                                            At this point I can only speculate,
                                                   on the mindset of that fragile man.
                                             But in the dark of that lonely night,
                                                   he became a statistic of Vietnam.

                                              So long ago, so far away.
                                                   Some memories never get lost.
                                              Rinse and repeat, we never learn.
                                                    Some lessons aren't worth the cost. 


by Contributing Poet  Jim Carpenter   Copyright © 2024 
VWP 2024     First published in  VietnamWarPoetry.com 

Bio:  Jim Carpenter  has been writing about Vietnam for a number of years but has not published yet.  He was in Vietnam from 1970-71 with the combat engineers as a clerk.  He has been retired for a number of years and enjoys his grandkids and writing about old age.
                                                       ​