It never rained confetti
the day they came home.
Memories, like torn paper,
fell in drifts as high as
skyscrapers, buried beneath
napalm-scorched nerves.
Sharp vines coiled through thoughts,
spinning like helicopter blades
lost in the jungle of
sweat-soaked sheets.
Letters often arrived first,
thin envelopes heavy with dread,
before taxi-delivered telegrams
confirmed the worst.
And sometimes,
a single knock at the door
foretold a heart
ripped from its place,
like a booby trap hidden
beneath their feet.
There were parades of fear
and rivers of drugs,
but no applause.
Only a long road
stretching beyond sight,
lined with tattered flags.
Powerfully penned, Tim. Another excellent write with lots of layers of my friend. Soldiers returning from war possibly Vietnam? That’s where my mind goes anyhow. Amazing read brother. Appreciate you.
Damian
Your mind went right, Damian. Thanks so much for your comment. You know it’s much appreciated.
I think the biggest issue I had when I got out of the Army was “what now?”. No chaos and yet no direction. It took awhile…
Your words are poignant, and as a vet, well received. The write itself is strong, well worded, maturely thought out.
I commend your results, Tim.
Wow, I never knew you were a vet, Styx. Thank you for your service and all you went through for your country, and thanks for the great comment. You’re a great man and a great poet.
Yes our Vietnam vets never were welcomed home as they should have been. A truly powerful and resonate poem about our unsung heroes. Just putting one’s life on the line for one’s country should have earned them respect even if the war wasn’t just. Your poem so powerfully tells a story of people who bear scars of a war and how these wounded warriors face the trauma of coming home to jeering crowds and total lack of respect. Truly a great poem my friend.
John