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

[Will]

I agree with Thomas, that stanza is positively stupendous. You really put together a great piece here, Ricochet. Great rhyme and surprisingly good flow for something you didnt try to measure out. I loved it, the picture you've painted here is marvelous. You've outdone yourself here, my friend.

Oh, and there's only one thing I could possibly say to that last stanza: Semper Fi, Marine!

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you Will. Semper FI

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

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

I have to say BR - I just want to grab you and hug you tightly and tell you it's all o.k. now, it's all o.k. now x

[Baby Ricochet]

Thank you Thomas. That actually does mean a lot to me

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

your welcome BR