The Night of "Frankie and Johnny" with Elvis
A place in the land of sun and smog ending at the great salt sea
Olive was the color of the staging area
Tents, seabags, and boymen in fatigues
There was no joy in Mudville this night
Would the one-ways be cruised ever again
Or is this your last night on “Turtle Island” *
The good-bye party was a zombie waltz of a movie
To watch the slicked black haired King
Now reduced to his formula musicals
Mini bursts of our once rebel hero sparked
But not long enough, nothing now would be long enough
Across the great tarmac rested the troop jets
With web net seats faced backwards to take us
To another place beginning at the other end of the great salt sea
A land of jungles, mountains, sand, rivers and rice paddies
Village farms of thatched hooches found on dusty roads
Of fatal sirens....”you stay long time, long time, you you number one”
* American Indian designation for North America.
by Contributing Poet Mike Stentoumis Copyright © 2021
VWP 2021 First published in VietnamWarPoetry.com
Not Exactly the Poster Boy
He was so young, tall, awkward and so thin
He didn't stand right
It seemed like luck that he could even walk
Leaning forward as if he was on stilts against a storm wind
Red hair and freckles to match
Black horned rimmed military issue specs
Not exactly the U. S. Marine poster boy
He died on a Saturday afternoon in Quang Tri Province
Already he had carried two wounded
Onto the chopper under fire
He got hit helping his third buddy
Not exactly the poster boy was beyond brave
They sent a nice letter and a Silver Star
To his folks on the little farm in Idaho
by Contributing Poet Mike Stentoumis Copyright © 2021
VWP 2021 First published in VietnamWarPoetry.com
Free at Last
His first crime was his blackness
The second was his refusal to die
Obeying a stupid order that if followed
Meant his and the death of his fire-team
But orders must be obeyed or there is no brass (up your ass)
Discipline is God, an example must be made
Shit details, a court martial
And eternity in the Hades of the Brig
Redemption was to go AWOL in country
Being hid in bars and opium dens
In the end it was too much of a stranger in a strange land
He ended quietly on his back
With the stem of a water pipe bogarting from his lips
by Contributing Poet Mike Stentoumis Copyright © 2021
VWP 2021 First published in VietnamWarPoetry.com
A place in the land of sun and smog ending at the great salt sea
Olive was the color of the staging area
Tents, seabags, and boymen in fatigues
There was no joy in Mudville this night
Would the one-ways be cruised ever again
Or is this your last night on “Turtle Island” *
The good-bye party was a zombie waltz of a movie
To watch the slicked black haired King
Now reduced to his formula musicals
Mini bursts of our once rebel hero sparked
But not long enough, nothing now would be long enough
Across the great tarmac rested the troop jets
With web net seats faced backwards to take us
To another place beginning at the other end of the great salt sea
A land of jungles, mountains, sand, rivers and rice paddies
Village farms of thatched hooches found on dusty roads
Of fatal sirens....”you stay long time, long time, you you number one”
* American Indian designation for North America.
by Contributing Poet Mike Stentoumis Copyright © 2021
VWP 2021 First published in VietnamWarPoetry.com
Not Exactly the Poster Boy
He was so young, tall, awkward and so thin
He didn't stand right
It seemed like luck that he could even walk
Leaning forward as if he was on stilts against a storm wind
Red hair and freckles to match
Black horned rimmed military issue specs
Not exactly the U. S. Marine poster boy
He died on a Saturday afternoon in Quang Tri Province
Already he had carried two wounded
Onto the chopper under fire
He got hit helping his third buddy
Not exactly the poster boy was beyond brave
They sent a nice letter and a Silver Star
To his folks on the little farm in Idaho
by Contributing Poet Mike Stentoumis Copyright © 2021
VWP 2021 First published in VietnamWarPoetry.com
Free at Last
His first crime was his blackness
The second was his refusal to die
Obeying a stupid order that if followed
Meant his and the death of his fire-team
But orders must be obeyed or there is no brass (up your ass)
Discipline is God, an example must be made
Shit details, a court martial
And eternity in the Hades of the Brig
Redemption was to go AWOL in country
Being hid in bars and opium dens
In the end it was too much of a stranger in a strange land
He ended quietly on his back
With the stem of a water pipe bogarting from his lips
by Contributing Poet Mike Stentoumis Copyright © 2021
VWP 2021 First published in VietnamWarPoetry.com
Bio: Mike Stentoumis was in the Marines, 3rd Batallion, 1st Marines in 66' & 67'. He is 77 now and retired. His wife and he have been married for 54 years and they have three children and four granddaughters. His career was working in the rehabilitation of people with disabilities.
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