A real war story

Written straight through, unedited with no syllable count.

There's talk about the price of war
From folks who never fought one
Seeing as how I was deployed
Let me tell ya bout the fun

You think about food all the time
Your feet are always sore
Who's got dip or cigarettes
or a girlie mag to score

You're always filthy dirty
Water's in short supply
Sand storms come from nowhere
out of the scorching desert sky

supply's a constant problem
We never had enough
Ammo diesel equipment oil
decent chow and such

Batteries were precious
So were razor blades
and may heaven help you
if you ever lost your shades

sand got into everything
you never got much sleep
Up in the early morning hours
for the road side bomber sweep

The threat of death was constant
you just got used to it
somewhere in the back of you head
you thought "this could be it"

you saw horribly mangled bodies
sometimes they were your guys
The worst of it was IED'S
When flesh and metal fried

Vehicle and human remains
got fused into one
In a stinking burning cauldron
I'd wish upon no one

Hajji you couldn't trust them
No matter what they said
Most were up against the wall
Trying not to end up dead

The Sunnis were the worst one's
Violence was their creed
Half of them were criminals
feeding their own greed

They didn't care who they killed
as long as blood was shed
Army Marine local folk
Lots of bodies maimed and dead

Airstrikes were the boogie man
What Hajji feared the most
With an Apache flying up his a*s
Hajji turned into a ghost

Shot up kids could get to you
The women could be crazy brave
Pulling wounded from gun fire
Sometimes their lives they gave

Fire fights were crack addicting
Not as terrifying as you'd think
It was the IED'S and snipers
who pushed you to the brink

The thrill of battle was incredible
Adrenaline like none other
non stop car wreck roller coaster
Sweet dreams for a corps gunner

The Comaraderie we shared together
I'd not known before or since
The boot prints left upon my soul
The corps left it's imprints

When your buddies were killed and maimed
It tore your heart to pieces
You could be next if you got careless
So you couldn't fall to pieces

It was the adventure of my life time
Nothing else compares
Through all the horror and the violence
oh I got my share

War is a horrible intervention
the worst form of attack
as crazy as it sounds to some
part of me wants to go back

I'm no blood crazed warrior
and war is not my dream
but no matter where I go in life
I'll always be a Marine

Author's Note

Well, that's the story

Reviews

[Joyce S. Greene]

Thank you for your service and for sharing your experience with us. All who serve are heroes. As your poem so well describes, war is hell and soldiers suffer for us to live in peace at home.

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you Joyce

[Annabelle Lee]

Hajji you couldn't trust them
No matter what they said
Most were up against the wall
Trying not to end up dead

Funny how when it's patriotic, and it's your duty as an american to kill another man without second thought everyone back home is totally okay with it, until they realize that some of our guys are at the wrong end of the gun.......

War is a horrible intervention
the worst form of attack
as crazy as it sounds to some
part of me wants to go back

I'm no blood crazed warrior
and war is not my dream
but no matter where I go in life
I'll always be a Marine

Not going to say that I feel ya, or I know what it's like or whatever kind of sentimental bullshit you have to put up with all the time. But ya know... it makes a lot of sense, what you're saying with this one.

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you annabelle

[Eddie Phillips]

I read this and...This was beyond words my brother. People do no know the sacrifice of war. Many people who have never served cannot understand the commitment it takes to leave love and family. We have so many people who have deployed to fight. Marines, Navy, and Air Force all giving it over in a swallowing dessert. As I sit over here in Bahrain doing my part right now I can say honestly you moved me with this poem and I will share it with my Military Brethren, and of course all my Marine buddies. Semper Fi!

[Baby Ricochet]

Semper fi. Thank you Eddie

[Aristede Craig Jr]

Well God blessed because I don't know what I would do I'm a lover not a fighter but I hope to be a surviver... But I love this ...

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you Craig

[Frieda P]

You always do these best Mark, since you lived it I guess that makes it part of who you are, I know you said you weren't gong to write these anymore, but they do mean something to many of us, thanks for sharing.

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you Frieda. After I said I wouldn't write about this again I discovered it's kinda hard not writing about the defining period of your life.

[Frieda P]

I thought exactly that when I read your words Mark...glad you've decided to share again...

[Will Neill]

Brave man,good poem,well done-straight from the hip.
Will

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you Will

[Keith]

That read like a spontaneous roadside interview with a marine on patrol. I reckon leave it alone, mucking with syllable counts etc would just bugger it up. Great write. I spent a few nights in a Perth hotel with a dozen or so marines on a break from Iraq. They seemed like kids, your poem encompassed what they were telling me.

[Baby Ricochet]

We were kids. Thank you Keith

[Cassie]

Not a very good story about war, war is not something very good according to your story above.

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you Cassie

[Angi]

Baby,
Yes! This is so well written. It comes from your guts and I know I am not alone in saying, 'Thank you so much.' Angi~

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you for reading Angi

[poetdoug]

Thank you for sharing your first hand report on the drama of battle. As a military off-spring, I appreciate what you and my Dad did for our country. Thanks for putting it down on paper so well.

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you Doug