War Haiku.

grey sky

Vietnam - Rice paddies

rice paddies -
no unshod feet
dimple the water
rice paddies ~
streets full of
orphans, beggars and whores
rice paddies -
old women and children
planting a new crop
rice paddies -
new crop appears
sharp, filth covered
rice paddies -
no green shoots
dance to the choppers' tune
rice paddies -
human excrement
saturating salty, old utilities.
rice paddies -
fear of a bountiful crop
of black pajamas and ak47s
rice paddies ~
musings of frogs and birds
then chaos and hell
rice paddies -
no bulging burlap bags,
just slippery black ones
rice paddies -
a new crop
cut down in its prime.

gb US Marine Corps

Copyright authors, 2004 -