a grave in vietnam

By FadedBlues

In Vietnam, there is one grave that I remember.
No headstone, nothing elaborate,
just the common mound of dirt
with a stick pushed into it.

Attached to the stick was the polaroid photo
of a young girl with a somber look on her face,
the look she probably wears now in eternity.
Just a simple, quiet black & white photo,

But it screamed out the absolute horror of war,
the pain it brings to so many,
the innocent especially. I left my heart, broken,
there at her grave site.

We who were there,
those of us who survived,
we all came back with something missing.  

Unauthorized Copying Is Prohibited. Ask the author first.
Copyright 2012 FadedBlues
Published on Monday, January 9, 2012.     Filed under: "Poetry"

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Comments on "a grave in vietnam"

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  • A former member wrote: Some of us are unfortunate enough to know something of your pain. Be well brother

  • carlosjackal On Friday, September 11, 2015, carlosjackal (3014)By person wrote:

    Still love this so much..So many volumes spoken..10/10 ;)

  • A poet of madness On Thursday, May 15, 2014, A poet of madness (115)By person wrote:

    No matter where the war is, home or abroad, the innocent are always the first to suffer. Good write.

  • carlosjackal On Saturday, January 25, 2014, carlosjackal (3014)By person wrote:

    The simplicity of this is brilliant..Stark message that hits home.

  • BetaWolfinVA On Monday, December 30, 2013, BetaWolfinVA (795)By person wrote:

    very well written snapshot of the little things that grab you Scholar

  • Void Vortex On Sunday, September 8, 2013, Void Vortex (303)By person wrote:

    Heavy write man! A really touching piece. Nice one!

  • PoetessDarkly On Saturday, September 7, 2013, PoetessDarkly (700)By person wrote:

    Awe blue I see I need to read more of your work. they inspire me so

  • DeafSoldier On Tuesday, January 22, 2013, DeafSoldier (38)By person wrote:

    This is very deep. One of the best poems I've read.

  • Devilish On Wednesday, January 2, 2013, Devilish (2658)By person wrote:

    HOW THE HELL did I miss this, i will so die right now.. fuck me. now i am going to go through every single fucking poem on your profile to make sure i didn't miss anything . and thank you sir for your comment you will never know how much i appreciated it. it made me feel like a big girl today. Scholar

  • A former member wrote: I have bookmarked this in another life and will do so again when able. Time breaks us all my friend yet you exude beauty in your depth. As always... Scholar

  • A former member wrote: Thank you for this view...traumas & terrors I couldn't begin to comprehend...& thank you for sharing your poetry, sir. Belated cheers & salutes to you & all the veterans here. Scholar

  • A former member wrote: if there were ever a poem that speaks of raw emotion that grabs the reader and sends them on a journey to hell and back this is it. You amaze me with your quiet approach, you are so very talented. Many of your works leave me teary eyed, they say much about the writer. I admire you. You have my utmost respect. Even though turmoil haunts you like a familiar mistress you have a good heart, it shows. Scholar

  • FadedBlues On Sunday, August 19, 2012, FadedBlues (2169)By person wrote:

    Thanks for visiting this again. it's a good place to renew...

  • Melancholic VIncent On Wednesday, June 6, 2012, Melancholic VIncent (430)By person wrote:

    War can leave no mark on our bodies, no wounds, no bullet navigating into our flesh and forgotten there, no blood spilled, none of this can happen to the lucky ones, but on the inside we all end up dismembered with everything we have seen and these wounds can easily be ignored or misinterpreted by the foolish ones. No one can forget the abominations of war, when a sweet face is turned into a pile of bones under our feet.... I never went to war, but it feels to me this is how you must feel.

  • Slingnasty On Wednesday, March 7, 2012, Slingnasty (138)By person wrote:

    FB tears in my eye the vision this piece invoked was personal feeling thanks. Never have I seen a grave as this. Where I was in central and so. america they piled them up to burn the sound and smell are my ghosts thanks again for reminding me of my humanity

  • A former member wrote: These words..these emotions that clench. Straining to be heard and to be silent leave the reader transfixed. Unable to turn away from the polaroid image and the one that stays frozen on the screen. It is as if for a moment we enter the past and see that moment, that day, that war with your eyes. This made my skin crawl with goosebumps and left me raw with emotion. I respect you for having served and even more so for being so in touch with your emotions. Thank you, you are more of a man than many of us could ever dream of becoming. **Bows**

  • A former member wrote: War always takes away, it never gives.

  • Magdalena On Monday, January 9, 2012, Magdalena (615)By person wrote:

    This brings to mind my dad always talking about his day's in the army in Malaya.... Thanks for sharing blues.

  • FadedBlues On Tuesday, January 10, 2012, FadedBlues (2169)By person wrote:

    war is unbearable anytime, anyplace, for both sides...another vet wrote 'if you own a house in hell and a farm in vietnam, sell the farm and go home...'

  • dwells On Monday, January 9, 2012, dwells (4285)By person wrote:

    I lucked out and stayed at MacDill in Tampa from '67 thru '69, working on F-4s (Comm / Nav). My cousin Capt. Karl Klute, was killed on a strafing run, flying out of Bien Hoa. Thanks for this somber piece.

  • FadedBlues On Monday, January 9, 2012, FadedBlues (2169)By person wrote:

    ...Bien Hoa, knew it well...I was stationed in Duc Hoa, 40 miles away...thanks...

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