just another day in paradise

I have heard it said that there are no atheist’s in a foxhole. But no one ever mentioned poets not being there. Silly songs and poetry was a good way to stifle boredom and fear. This little rhyme is a foxhole ditty that I would guess was first heard in the trenches of Europe during WWI. I have no idea who wrote it~ but I would say it’s a safe bet to say

“ May he rest in peace”

Foxhole ditty

Author un-known

The doggies had a meeting they came from near and far

Some they came by motorboat and some by motorcar

On entering the meeting hall they all could take a look

To where they would hang their assholes high upon on hook

Now when they were assembled every K-9 son and sire

Some dirty lowdown bulldog jumped up and hollered fire

The place was in a shambles it was hell upon to look

As the doggies grabbed at random an asshole from the hook

Now the asshole were all mixed up and this made the doggies sore

To have to wear another dogs ass that they had never wore before

That is why until today a dog will leave his bone

To run and sniff another dog’s ass to see if it’s not his own

Author un-known

Foxhole ditty

Circa 1968 Republic of South Vietnam;

Let’s go ladies, off your ass’s and on your feet, boots and saddles.

We are going down river two clicks. Lock and load, second squad you got point and keep your eyes peeled, command say’s the whole fucking NVA 108^th regiment is in this area. Fuck this Shit “sarg” why, the hell I got to be the motherfucking squad leader I’m just a low rank lance corporal? Because asshole them two new candy ass sergeants are as green as my fucken’ Government socks that’s why! Now move your sorry ass, and get second squad up front. You can take point personally marine! “What did he say?” He said fuck you, let’s go, lock and load, bring the sixty up here. Staggered formation were wading in the river, move out. Turn that pcr (prick) off, radio silence.Great just what the fuck I need more leaches trying to suck my dick.

I am definitely too short for this shit! I can’t wait to get my ass back to the world, see what all this free love shit is about? Twenty minutes down river, the platoon was ambushed, and the proverbial shit hit the fan. The first round hit the young lance corporal in the chest. The second shot not a millisecond later hit him in the front of his helmet and raced around between the steel pot and helmet liner and exited the back of the steel pot. He was lifted, and thrown back by the impact, he had a fractured skull and a serious sucking chest wound. A marine grabbed him by the suspender strap and dragged him to the riverbank, as the firefight raged. A navy corpsman injected him in the thigh with morphine and tried to work on his chest wound, amid the battle. Hang in there bro, hang on, it ain’t so bad hang tough, chopper’s coming’

 An RPG round landed nearby and the corpsman was blown away as if by a strong wind. As the dawn broke, the young corporal lost conciseness. The last thing he remembered seeing was the light break on the distant dawn, the rising sun had just shattered the darkness of the night; the world at once was brighter. He felt a certain melancholy, a desire to depart the moon had slipped beyond the mountain and the stars had faded into the light. For him this dawn brought, a brand new world, he could hear the angels calling. They beckoned him to follow, to go home to his father’s throne. This life was over; all of his tears had fallen.

 He was, moved by the beauty, of this indescribable sound, it carried him away. He floated on or in this gray nothingness, which was at once, nothing and everything, at this time, he knew there was no time, but only a continuing now. He became aware of dancing orbs of lights; they seemed to flicker in and out of his vision, if he had vision? Was he un-contained consciousness, he was not sure but he could see his body laid on the ground bleeding, crying, suffering, and dying. He was confused but aware that the lights were communicating with him somehow? He then realized that he could see the firefight below as if he was sitting up in a tree watching a TV movie. Suddenly he had the sensation of zooming straight up at a tremendous speed; he could see the earth below and the universe around him. It was beautiful and wonderful and he never wanted to go back to that shitty war in that shitty place, and somehow he knew that the decision for him to die was made. It had always been made. He had a sensation of falling quickly and landing with a thud and oh so much pain. He regained conciseness for a moment, and saw bloody hands pushing on his chest, and IV tubes everywhere. He heard the droning whooshing of the chopper blades, and felt the metal deck under his fingers. Then the world went black! He died in route to a hospital ship somewhere in the south China sea..

There is a time there is no time only places far and near

Music that you can taste and colors that you can hear

Flying high soaring like the eagle above a misty meadow

Faces and places remembered and loved for me not a tear

I am home