Battle Rattle

Battle Rattle was slang for the 50 odd Lbs of gear we carried on our person in the field. I left the rating everyone though there are F bombs

Full Battle Rattle

Breathing diesel sand

 

Apply the pressure bandage

blood gushes through my hands

 

Rockets skip the concrete

Electo sparking heat

 

Take the dead away in taxis

blood trails up the street

 

Full Battle Rattle

Automatic roaring death

 

Feed the bullets

change the barrel

 

You got any

last regrets

 

Full Battle Rattle

Sniper searing kiss

 

Dark Knight and Avenger

Wrapped in shrouded bliss

 

Terrifying moments

Pinned into the ground

 

Where the f**k is he

Wait for the next round

 

Full Battle Rattle

Cobras fill the sky

 

Mini guns and rockets

Kiss your a*s goodbye

 

Breaking into houses

no one knows a thing

 

Hajji took 5 bullets

what was he doing

 

Full Battle Rattle

Ears buzzing for days

 

Adrenaline overload

Standing in a daze

 

  Load up on the 7

Getting the f**k out

 

     After handing Hajji

Another demoralizing rout

 

Full Battle Rattle

Just another day

 

We were Marines baby

We blew Hajji's away

 

Sounds to brutal

Automatic weapon buzz

 

Tell you this much baby

It's the best I ever was

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note

Much of the imagery is from a fire fight that turned into a pitched battle in an erea called Sofia, just east of Ramadi. We were ambushed in what had been a ritzy neigborhood for politically connected Sunni's when Saddam was in power. We were re enforced by a rapid deployment force and other squad that was near by.The fighting raged for a good two hours before two Cobra Helicopter gunships were called in and chewed Hajji to pieces. The reference to "Breaking into houses was us looking for insurgents. Hajji typically bailed in the middle of the fight to another erea, changed his cloths and just blended into the crowd but with two cobras menacing the sky he was trapped where ever he was hiding so he was easy pickings that day. One house we went into there was a kid, 16-17 years old cradling a dead Hajji in his arms that had taken several rounds. There wasn't to much blood which meant he bleed out before they got there. The kid was sobbing hysterically and crying out. We had to arrest him but he didn't want to let go of the dead one. It turned out to be his brother. War is fuck brutal man.

Reviews

[Heather Maria]

That is amazing! You know not it the "like oh mi god you're so amazing" type, but amazing in the sense that you have seen something like that. So, amazing isn't the right word but wow. I can't imagine seeing something so horrific, but you do the imagery well. My cousins are/have been Marines so I'm very supportive of them, but they don't tell me their war stories. And I know it's not pomp and circumstance, but I don't know the reality of it.

I love how you used all bolds for the first half and all caps for the second. It is visually very compelling, and it works well for your poetry. Keep up the awesome job!

[Baby Ricochet]

I didn't talk about it much either until I met my friend Jade. Somehow she was neutral psychic ground. Writing is easier than talking anyway.

[afra]

very powerful ...good job

[Baby Ricochet]

Thanx