emily
donut dollie
|
emily |
|
We stood talking as the steaks cooked
You said I had the
longest eyelashes you’d ever seen
And you were going to
write your wife and tell her about me
You hoped one day I could meet
the wonderful woman
who stole your heart
It was a party, after all
A time to forget the harsh realities of war
And remember the
good things waiting for us
back in the Real World
The steaks were done and I was invited
to sit at the Colonel's table
We’d talk more after dinner
_____________
When I heard the three thumps
I looked at the Colonel
still enjoying his steak
And knew my ears must have simply
mistaken the sounds for incoming
This was, after all, a Divarty Party
and the Colonel knew his men
must man the guns
if we were under attack
But as the next rounds began exploding
in the middle of the party
I looked questioningly at the Colonel
as he disappeared into the distance
I knew not the location of the bunker
and was well aware that the men
were running not to the bunker
but to the guns
My thoughts raced in confusion and terror leaving
my legs motionless
The pounding of my heart echoed the cadence of the
explosions surrounding me
I frantically looked around hoping to spot you
long enough to ask where I should go
and was relieved to see you still there
You were looking at me, yelling something and
pointing as you disintegrated in a flash of light
and a splash of red
The horror froze me as I stared at the
scattered red fragments that were once you
and a guilt gripped my soul
which has forever blocked
the memory of how I finally got to the bunker
_____________
The next thing I can remember is
standing dazed in the bunker
when a boy came up and handed me
the tail fin from a mortar
"This one almost killed you, so I thought you ought to have it."
I've kept that tail fin all these years,
But I would rather have met your wife.
© 1988
Sign Emily's Guest Book - Read Emily's Guest Book
My Vietnam Related Websites:
Women
in Vietnam ~ Read about ALL the women who served . . .
Dusty's
Home Page ~ Poetry and prose by a woman who was a nurse in Vietnam
The
Irish on the Wall ~ An effort to locate the Irish who died in Vietnam
Tim
O'Brien's Home Page ~ National Book Award Winner and Americal Vet
Emily's
Poetry ~ By a Red Cross Donut Dolly
Shrapnel
in the Heart ~ The most moving book you will read on Vietnam
All
About Vietnam ~ An annotated bibliography of books about
Vietnam for sale thru Amazon Worldwide!
Battle
Dressing ~ The Journey of a Nurse in Vietnam
Project
Hearts and Minds ~ Help put Viet Nam back together
Photos
from a Holts' Military History Tour ~ My trip to Vietnam, February 1998
My Other Websites:
Maybe Later . . . ~ My
Creative Nonfiction
Irish
in Korea ~ Irish men and women who gave their lives in the Korean War
Literature of the Korean
War ~ Don't let the literature be forgotten
Samuel Pepys ~ One of my
favorite authors
Chicago Theatre Z - A ~
This is the best theater town in the country!
Soccer Literature ~ I'm a
fan and I read
O'Leary Lantern ~ Fire! Fire! Fire!
Gil
Thorp ~ THE Coach (apologies to The General!)
Poetry of the First World War
~ Owen, Hardy and others
Chi-COW-go
~ Cowz plus Commentary (this used to be a cow town)
Graham
Fulton, Scottish Poet ~ Charles Manson Auditions for the Monkees
Other Important Websites:
The
Truth About Caroline ~ a really good Young Adult book by
my niece, Stacey M. Lane
Grosh
Remember
Oklahoma City ~ The Civil
Service and Military will NEVER forget!
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| Page last updated August 17, 2004 | |
