Please Stop the Fireworks

Celebration?

Booms of vivid red and green;

Showers of golden sparks like the boughs of a willow;

Whistling, shrieking spirals of brilliant white.

My family stands upon the riverbank,

Oohing and cheering in admiration,

And I stand beside them with my face turned up to the night,

A prescribed smile of wonder upon my lips

As my eyes reflect the jubilation exploding above me.

But inside, my heart is breaking.

Because I know

That every boom is a round of mortar fire

And every whistle is the scream of an incoming shell

And every flash is the angel of Death in the sky

And the popping of store-bought self-amusement in the streets

Is the sound of gunshots,

And where tomorrow the pavement will be stained with ashes and scraps of cardboard

Some eyes will see sprays of blood and shreds of flesh.

New Year’s Eve and the Fourth of July, the Vietnam veteran said.

Those are the times that it’s the worst,

When every former soldier is thrown back into battle with the demon memories

Brought on by the explosions that fill the American sky.

The sights, the sounds awaken their senses

To a living nightmare they never truly escaped

While our untainted eyes and ears are filled with the beauty of the spectacle.

So open to sensation -

How can we be so senseless?

I feel bad saying this,

Because I don’t want to ruin something

That others think is beautiful.

But I don’t think it’s right

To celebrate our country’s independence

By tormenting the people who gave so much to defend it.

 

So please -

Stop the fireworks.

Author's Note

This is not meant to make anyone feel bad. Simply my thoughts.

Reviews

[Darian B.]

Dang, this is extremely eye-opening and makes a lot of sense. I myself have never really cared about fireworks one way or the other but this has really given me new perspective. PTSD is real and I can totally understand how fireworks could easily trigger it. The way you stated this though was just outstanding. From the title, I knew there was going to be a shift from the jubilance but I did not expect it to be so powerful. I could picture the fireworks shifting into a battle scene where they rain down terror on scarred soldiers. Very impactful, well done.

[AliciaB]

Thank you very much! I'm glad you could get so much from it.

[Terpsichore]

'That every boom is a round of mortar fire
And every whistle is the scream of an incoming shell
And every flash is the angel of Death in the sky
And the popping of store-bought self-amusement in the streets
Is the sound of gunshots,
And where tomorrow the pavement will be stained with ashes and scraps of cardboard
Some eyes will see sprays of blood and shreds of flesh.'

The juxtaposition of a fireworks celebration with the harsh reality of war is remarkable well drawn and quite unique in my view.

A while back, I spent a little time in such a hostile environment; it has left a lasting impression.

T

[AliciaB]

Thank you! I very much appreciate it.

[Robert Parlange]

In some Asian cultures fireworks are used to drive away evil spirits. Sometimes those demons are not that easily exorcised. You shouldn't feel bad about expressing your opinions. It just shows that you have empathy. Nothing wrong with that.

[AliciaB]

Thanks! I appreciate it.

[Einstein Noodle]

your empathy is admirable ... the Viet Nam era vets (myself included) are unique in their sufferings ..coming home ...discharged into a society that labeled them as the bad guys .. not a lot of support at the time ... i respect your thoughts my friend! who can argue against the high ground .. whenever i think on these things (i am Christian) i have to reduce things to a very personal level and answer what i would do when my family and self are in imminent danger of death and /or harm ... that aside ;)
Independence Day Celebration reminds me every year how our Nation became a Nation ..the men and women directly involved in the forming of a government never before tried were way ahead of their times .. all other Nations were Oligarchies ... our Declaration, Constitution and Bill of Rights are stalwart building blocks of personal freedoms in a pluralistic society ... anyway ..God bless you ... i am so glad you posted your thoughts ... you have created vivid imagery and strong contrasts that have inspired me to think about things ..so well done says i!
E.

[AliciaB]

Thank you very much! I greatly appreciate your comments. A couple years ago in school, we read the book The Things They Carried in English, and in U.S. History we had a Vietnam veteran who works at our school come into our class and share some of his experiences with us. His story and the stories in the book opened my eyes to what it's like to live with those memories. If anything, this poem is intended to inspire compassion and awareness of other people's emotions. Thank you so much for your service and for the lovely review. I hope that you have a wonderful Independence Day.

[Einstein Noodle]

:) ................. same to you my friend!