This is the most concise statement that I have made concerning my experience in war and the repercussions of war.
No Great Warrior
I have felt but little rage.
I experienced little of the
manic combat
that breed such feelings.
I was merely a confused kid,
an inept, yet sometimes
competent, infantry soldier
who did not shrink from the
close proximity to death.
I felt afraid, exhausted, numb,
occasionally exhilarated.
I attempted to kill. I witnessed death.
I felt the scourge of war.
I knew love in the midst of chaos.
When I arrived home
and for many years after
I hurt.
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1 comment:
As with so many of your poems, this is powerful in its sparse language. Direct and raw, it speaks the truth of war.
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