Em Pleh

Digging ditches in my back yard
I see demons in my sleep at night
Pictures, pictures go away
Pictures of the bodies that I slayed
I was fighting in the dessert once
Dropping bombs and killing little ones

Went to war... achieved no peace
From the heart of the Middle East
I am back
My country loves me so much
That I am broke and can't afford my rent
Only smiles and thank you's

No psychological help
I am wide awake as I dream
I see bloody corpses of Marines
I think my family is out to kill me
I see the enemy in them
I think I'm going crazy

But my country doesn't care
I'm digging ditches in my back yard
Tra la la la la one little body in the ground
Two little bodies now
Two little bodies tra la la la la
Two little bodies and a big one

Reviews

[Haunzwürthe]

This one hit too close to home. There are too many personal experiences to be able to give a literary review. All I can say is that you said what needed to be said.

[EMMIE]

Thanks! Hope it gets better :)

[M.E.Lyle]

Very intense and eerie. I kinda' got a chill as I read, especially during those last few lines.

[EMMIE]

Thank you!!!

[BlueDreams]

Nicely pictured the thoughts of a random person, who is weeping for his own deeds.. :) Thank you for sharing :)

[EMMIE]

thank you

[kublakhan27]

This one went right to my library...I relate to elements of this with astounding accuracy, not the last stanza though, don't worry about that haha Still, the intensity of this piece from start to finish is overwhelming...great piece Emmie.

[EMMIE]

Yeah the last lines are kinda intense lol. Thank you!

[kublakhan27]

You're very welcome :)

[Sami Khalil]

A good write. Thank you for sharing...:)

[EMMIE]

Ty for reading

[Sami Khalil]

My pleasure...:)

[Coyote Poetry]

I came back from the war. I went directly to the Philadelphia airport. First non-military contact was kind mother and grandmother who welcome us back with hugs and thanks. We were never asked were we okay or are you walking on the edge. I like the poem. Sort of a dance on the edge. Most men and women survive without damage. The killers are the one's we need to have concern for. Killing is a drug. A kind man will become the Devil when death was their friend for a time. No weakness i your excellent poem. A poem to create thoughts to ponder.
Coyote

[EMMIE]

Thank you, Coyote. And thank you for your service!

[Renée]

Here we take people to train them to kill..but when their tours are up..I do not feel we do enough to acclimate them to come home...and when they are home..they deserve the best in medical and any assistance needed !

[EMMIE]

100% agree with you

[Deuces]

I'm close friends with many vets (they're the best workout buddies too, lol), but on a serious note, this rings true of their experiences. Throughout the whole poem, I thought of Larenz Tate and Bookem Woodbine in Dead Presidents, which to me was one of the best films that portrayed this feeling. Different war, but same dynamic.

This would be an awesome narration to a war film/scene.

Very vivid and painfully true.

[EMMIE]

Appreciate you. Got to check out that movie...I've probably seen it