Dare to Dream
Humping in the toolies while my mind
shifts into reverse, Thinking’ about the past couple of star lit
nights. This jungle is treacherously beautiful at times. Southeast Asian
Moon dancin’ through the canopy as the stars Glow through the thick
leaves like fire flies in July. Takes ya back to a more peaceful time
and place. The problem is that drifting off in this state of mind can
get a person killed. Tryin’ to keep focused is a real pisser out here
in the big green. Subconsciously ya keep scanning the tree tops while
beads of sweat roll down your forehead into your eyes. This has the
tendency to take the romanticism right out of ya. The razor grass has
its own way of sucking the strength outta ya. Least it lets ya know your
still alive cause you bleed from little stinging strips of cut flesh.
Gotta be thankful for the little things eh’. Skeeters buzzing,
inhaling dust, and no-see-um’s. This backpack feels like a hundred
pounds of canvas on my back. My M14 slung down over my shoulder hangs
horizontally resting in my hands ready for action, while this piss pot
on my head cooks my brain like chittlin’s from the inside out. Friggin
romantic all right, a real love story going on here. What would we have if we couldn’t
dream? Complain about the damp cool jungle at night and then moan about
the heat of the sun during the day. No happy medium, all we got is the
dreams of yesterday and the hope of tomorrow. Right now drags on
endlessly like a dog dragging his ass on the front lawn and it just
doesn’t matter. This very second does cause I’m still breathing and
walking the bush. Two seconds from now my life ain’t guaranteed and I
know this to be true cause I have seen how quick eternity began for some
of us grunts. I wonder what they were dreamin’ bout when time stopped
for em’. Weather its Mamma, Mary Jane, Home, a Big Mac or Ole Red
doesn’t matter: when the lights go out so suddenly Any thought is ok
long as ya don’t have time to know your dyin. The bottom line is that we gotta
live somehow and we gotta survive even if it’s in a semi focused state
of mind. Thinkin’ bout that blonde mini-skirted round eyed centerfold
in Playboy beats the hell outta dwelling on the ambush last night, or
lifting them body bags into the chopper this mornin’. Had friends last
night and today they are gone. Like I said this jungle is treacherously
beautiful at night. The stars ain’t all that light up the sky. But
that’s the way it is in the boonies. If ya don’t book a trip once in
awhile in the shadows of your mind you’ll lose control big time.
Everybody here’s got the thousand yard today, stepping light and
living right somewhere stateside tryin’ to forget. Going through the
motions while burying the emotions of war. Last night I was livin’ in
hotel hole while staring up at that orange Vietnam moon when stars
turned into tracer rounds ripping our position to shreds. Charley was
busy with war while we were booking flights to Disneyland. Paid the
price to One-Way-Ville with tickets soaked in blood and steel rattling
in the Platoon sergeants hand. Note to self, I gotta book shorter trips.
Question was “ What would we have if we couldn’t dream?”
Perhaps the lives of those who bought it last night under the
darkness of the canopy. Death does not enhance itself in the golden glow
of the Vietnam moonlight. Today
I’ll hump the toolies and I’ll try to forget. But tonight!
Tonight I won’t be buyin’ any dream tickets to the World.
Tonight will be spent tryin’ to punch a few Cong tickets of my
own…Destination, Dead-Ville, North Vietnam. Live and learn, Learn and
Live…. 10 |