A day that went badly wrong

Suicide bombing attack on an open air market in Sammara Iraq my squad had a front row seat to. I wrote this straight in one take, less than 30 min. Something was said on WC and I had to respond

It was just an open air market

Like any other quiet day

Nothing's what it seems in this place

You could never take your eyes away

 

We were patroling at a road block

Checking motorists ID'S

When a roaring sound ripped open

The Market at it seams

 

Screaming panicking people

Were running everywhere

We could smell the C-4

hanging in the air

 

Women and children screaming

Horror all over the ground

mutilated body parts

Every time you turned around

 

Massive trauma hidious burns

A little girl's ripped off arm

Crying and grabbing for us to help

A threat we failed to disarm

 

Nine people were killed that day

Carnage you wouldn't believe

It's burned into my memory

It will never leave

 

Just one of my many adventures

I had working for uncle Sam

No I'm not bitter about it

But civilians don't understand

 

I take these things deeply personal

It's not an abstact argument to me

I got brothers who died back there

But civilians will never see

 

I don't know how they ever could

I'm not anrgry anymore it seems

Cherish your sweet memories princess

You don't want to trade them with me

 

Author's Note

Sorry, Not funny. Really heavy actually. I've never been able to explain how events like this made me feel. We were supossed to prevent things like this from happening and we missed that day. 9 people were killed, dozens wounded and we stood there with our dicks hanging out. To this day I feel partly responsible for that. I'll go back to funny with the next poem, I promise. I just had to get this out. Something was said...

Reviews

[Shimmerbliss/CAF]

Again you have ripped away any illusions about the horror. Hopefully, writing about it helps you in some way. Things that you write about your service are the kinds that make wounds too deep to not change and haunt you. When you write like this it is poignant and moving.

[KAOlmsted]

Oh Baby :(

[Victoria Elizabeth]

Omg, this is serious s**t, i never reliezed how girly my poetry is until i read this.....i understand now by what people me when then say you need to writer about pure emotion...Very,very good

[Marie]

In a way I envy you. You're so good at expressing emotions, gettint them out.
I can't even face mine, let alone write about them...

[Pax]

now this is the raw you, the you that i've read before... getting something out is always good my friend... don't let this thoughts creeps in your head... they will drown you more than you think... Poetry is therapy... its our emotional release of our past,present or sometime our future...
now about the poem... its Scary Messy Situation...this type of memories are hard to erase...or should i say some scar never left...
Great job in expressing your thoughts...

[That_Girl]

When I read poems or stories like these, it makes me sick that people like Brandon have the ability to call themselves 'Americans'. Really heavy piece with few errors. Not much to say here, love. Nicely done.