War is something that cannot be explained in many words
War was difficult
War was hell
War could bring out hell
To the men of the platoon, war meant many things
War could be fun
War could be sad
War could be devastating
War was death
All of the victims
All of the survivors of war
All of the people who have suffered from the war
They all wished for peace
War would not bring peace, is what it seemed
But as we marched through the land known as Vietnam,
I told myself that the war would end soon
And I could return home
I would return home a hero
For not crossing into Canada
For not being a coward
Or so it seemed I was not a coward, to the naked eye
I went to war
So it must seem that I was brave enough to be considered a hero
A hero who had saved the world from demented evil
But that was not me
Heroes were people like the war heroes shown returning home early
With a smile on their face, they'd wave
They'd wave saying some kind of nonsense about being glad that he was home
Even if that 'hero' was home, he may not want to be there
He may have survived landmines, bombing, and ambushing
His only fault was an amputated leg or arm
He was the one who couldn't continue on
No matter what he wanted
He may have wished that he had been able to return home early because of a complication
He may have yelled out what all the soldiers did when they were lifted off and into the choppers
"I'm gone, motherfuckers!"
But when he hears his platoon was ambushed
And almost all of them were ruthlessly murdered
He can't help but think
War is hell
War was like a different and alternate universe
It could not be explained without having to ponder over your words for hours at a time
War stories could be told easily
The sensation you get when you're humping through the torn apart and rugged country
It could never be told clearly
Only in three words
That was what you would get from most men who have sacrificed a part of their lives to a war
War is hell.
Short poem I wrote for a contest on deviantART. I love this book.
Review please.