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IN A JUNGLE FAR FROM HOME

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Published by kheldar on November 23, 2010 - 16:32
from the ABC set THE HUMAN CONDITION

I've seen them come
I've seen them go,
Some are strangers
Some I know;
Some are shot
While some are stabbed,
Some by silent foe
Are grabbed.

Some die without e'er knowing
They take their final breath,
Some scream their pain for hours
Watched by patient Death;
Some I place in body bags
Some there's nought to place,
Some joke as they are dying
Some see another's face.

Some time soon, so very soon
Death will watch o'er me,
A brief flash in the darkness
Mayhap the last I'll see;
A blade across my windpipe
Perhaps the last I'll hear,
In this foreign landscape
My doom draws ever near.

I've seen them come
I've seen them go,
Friends or strangers
This I know:
In a jungle far from home
They fought with guts and pride,
Upon that farthest shore of all
I'm once more at their side.

Copyright DM Pamment 22nd November 2010

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Comments

Highhat | November 23, 2010 - 16:56

Having grown up in the 60's and 70's neither I shall ever forget this war.
;)Pia

kheldar | November 23, 2010 - 17:12

Hi Pia, thanks for reading and commenting. I knew little of it at the time but I know i will never forget what i've seen of it since.

:--)

pinda | November 23, 2010 - 17:36

Well done kheldar, done a very good job in showing the brutal reality of this war. Great use of repetition as well.

X
Pinda

Silver Spun Sand | November 23, 2010 - 17:45

I agree, whole heartedly, with all that has been said.

A moving and thought-provoking poem.

Tina ;-)

Bradene | November 23, 2010 - 20:13

Hear Hear to everything, and now we have to watch the whole thing happening again in the Gulf and Afghanistan. Well written Kheldar. Val

kheldar | November 23, 2010 - 20:56

Thank you so much Pinda, Tina and Val; there is something quite satisfying in writing a piece that strikes a chord with people. Thanks to all three of you agin for reading and for commenting.

Kheldar :-) xxx

maggyvaneijk | November 24, 2010 - 10:19

Great work, the poem has a good pace, marching the reader along. One of my favourite "Vietnam War books" is The Things They Carried and your piece definitely reminded me of it.

kheldar | November 24, 2010 - 11:59

Thanks so much for that maggy, to be reminded of a favourite piece of someone else's work means a lot.

I have found an excerp of The Things they Carried on Amazon so I will check it out. My own favourite of that ilk is "Fields of Fire" by James Webb.

Thanks again for reading and for your kind comment.

:--) xxx

Kahdai | November 24, 2010 - 22:47

Wow this is thriller, maybe about vietnam, except to me it could be about all death. K x

kheldar | November 25, 2010 - 15:07

Hi Kahdai, I could wish for no better response than "wow". thank you for reading and commenting.

:--) xxx

Kahdai | November 25, 2010 - 17:24

^^ welcom veriy xxx