But Still?

But Still?

This poem attempts to depict the physical and psychological confrontation between an Australian soldier and a Viet Cong guerrilla in their constant two-way battle for survival in the jungle.

"My solution to the problem [of Nth Vietnam] would be to tell them frankly
that they've got to draw in their horns and stop their AGGRESSION......
or we're goin' to bomb them back to the Stone Age!"

- General Curtis Le May, 1964.

A young man awaits, in the mountains,
For his true love, from the village nearby;
At the mouth to his cave,
Clutches a token she gave,
Recalls their last kiss.....and fleeting goodbye.

She’s now hiding below.....in terror,
It’s just her, they’re trying to kill;
She makes not a sound,
Stays flat on the ground,
Enemy approaches, stays still.....stays still;
Better not move, stay alert.....but still.

Humidity’s high, in this jungle,
A monsoon is circling around;
I signal: STOP!.....Nothing’s said!
’Tis a rise up ahead;
Look and listen, for any, strange sound.

Thick canopy drapes down.....above me,
All nine, well aware of the drill;
There’s fresh tracks in the dirt.....
Patrol on full alert,
Spread out.....crouching, yet still.....real still;
Eyes searching.....hearts pounding.....but still.

I can see something.....slowly sneaking,
As it crawls through the bush, up ahead;
A human form starts to run.....
So I raise up my gun,
And it drops with one shot, as if dead.

A thick bloody trail, soon leads us,
Up onto the side of the hill;
A young girl’s in black.....
Rifle strapped to her back,
Face white and lifeless and still.....quite still;
Contorted, wide-eyed.....but still.

My patrol circles, her body,
And I’m staring at death.....where she lay;
Should we win, lose or draw.....
This silly, crazy war,
I’ll never forget what happened.....today.

Surely soon will be gone, all we soldiers,
And peace will return.....to this hill;
For most this will be.....
Just a bad mem-or-y,
This war will soon end!.....But still.....but still?
Wars can’t go on.....forever!.....But still?.....

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