~The Dragon Flies' Lair VI ~

December 17,2003 | bentfeather

[Soaring Feather]

My Dragon Fly and Me

If I could be a Dragon Fly
and wing my way through the sky
I would never be shy
just me and my Dragon Fly!

By moonlight we ride the wind
chase the comets tail for fun
by day we would hide from the sun
our fragile wings would come undone

On darkest nights we would use
fireflies as our guide
we would dip and we would glide
through the heavens open wide
and scatter diamonds in the night sky
my Dragon Fly and I...

And we would wing past our lovers
silent in the night...
to kiss their face in our flight
much to their surprise and delight
my Dragon Fly and me in sight...

Such a view do we share
away up here in the air
of breezes soft through our hair
my Dragon Fly and me a pair...

bentfeather©

[Soaring Feather]

Good Saturday morning everyone!

[snippy_about_it]

Thank you feather. Good morning.

[Soaring Feather]

snippy,

I'm curious about the photo you used in your poem presentation this morning, is this mountain in Oregon?

[SAMWolf]

Good Morning Everybody.

You Know The Drill
Click the Pics

Coffee & Donuts

[SAMWolf]

i'm no hero~



The lady said, “Heroes sit here,
In our most honored chair,”
“I don’t mean to sound insincere,”
I replied, “but where do I sit,”
“Because I’m no hero. No, not a bit.
I just went where my country told me to go.
There was no question, there was no pause,
Nothing there that should merit applause.

I’m no hero!
Just because into the breach of hell I did go.
For men of honor have no choice
Than to join in the shout with freedom’s voice
I didn’t think about it, I just went,
To join the army of soldiers sent...
Wouldn’t anybody?

I’m no hero!
I would rather not have had to go,
If there was another way I don’t know.
Sure, I’ve got a purple heart for the time I bled.
People saw me then, thought I’d soon be dead.
But I survived the war winds foulest blow.
Escaped the master of death in embattled mist below.

I’m no hero!
I just slugged it out with Charley toe-to-toe,
I crossed his deadly path
Still feel his demonic wrath
His bullets incessantly stinging
Feeling incessant tearing forever shedding
In my soldier’s wearied mind,
Honoring buddies left behind!
Though the war’s now blowing in the wind,
Heart and soul still rend.

I’m no hero!
For then I felt no fear I now intimately know.
Now I dream of rogue bullets that death’s questions ask,
Killing their favorite task...
I see in dreams where through fetid jungle they tore
Doing their killing chore,
So quick, so clean, sweeping past
Memories suck me in from future cast,
Forever changing moods lightning fast,
Forever taking lives, yet not the last...

I’m no hero!
I simply had a duty when called to go
I didn’t back down, but quelled the foe.
I swore with all might to try
To God’s bidding do, or die!
Because I loved my country more than life
Vowed to follow behind patriot’s drum and fife.
To win freedoms to which forefathers clove
Undead regiments with youthful principles war drove!

Heroes are men endowed with great courage,
Who with great strength sway bloody fields of carnage.
Heroes are men of bold exploits favored by God,
Bearing noble purpose born of native sod.
I’m just an ordinary man who saw his duty,
Who answered a call to arms to defend beloved liberty.

I’m no hero, as you can plainly see.
When the roll was called to stand for their country
I stood...that’s all!
I did nothing special that honor on me should befall.
In Vietnam I did a little walking,
A little sweating, A little bleeding,
Almost dying
A purple heart earning
Some call A “Move too slow award”
That near cut life’s silver cord.

I'm no hero, for I did nothing witty nor wise
I’m just one of the countless little guys
Who faced daily war’s evil eyes...
Doing his duty against war's bestial ogre cunning
Demons within and without constantly fighting
Hoping, searching, fearing, humping
Marching with thousands of brothers-in-arms alongside
Through valley's shadow where patriotic spirits guide.

I’m no hero...
Though for uncle Sam seeds of war did sow
Bearing patriotic heritage planted long ago.
I faced warlord Ho Chi Minh’s fiery breath,
Deep and deeper into bowels of shadowed death.
With vengeance he'd banished freedom’s light,
Cast unwelcome caresses of wars despicable blight.
Good men of conscience had that despot to stop,
Proclaim bastions of freedom on every mountaintop.

I’m no hero...
Just another war-torn Joe,
Whose warrior soul arose above cannon’s roar,
Like eagles, young men's brave spirits soar,
Bearing naive and gung-ho this boy next door,
Above a soil enriched with soldiers seeping blood,
Getting down and dirty in Nam’s mud.

They say war measures the depth of a hero
Young boy’s ruin mid thundered guns aglow,
Just links in the chain
Sent duty to retain, freedom to proclaim
Growing acts of war like cancer in the brain
A new set of senses war does indelibly ingrain,
Combat infantrymen fates defy
Virulent beasts raging inside till the day I too die.

I’m no hero!
Not at all like Rambo.
To this day living with war etched into my lifetime
Always watching for movements out of rhyme
Ever listening for sounds that don’t belong,
Always with the feeling something’s wrong.
I still roam triple canopied jungle where I lost the boy
In elephant grasses lost much of life’s joy.
Neither wine nor advances of withering sun
Can ever warm a cold, heated year of the gun.

I’m no hero!
Just because I stepped into war’s inferno.
I was raised believing you answered when called,
To go somewhere where freedom's were galled
For a noble allegiance the young owed
To shoulder a nation's heavy load
To honor a sacred duty forsworn,
The clarion trumpeted an obligation born,
To win the red badge of courage, proudly worn.

Vietnam was a duty you could not with honor refuse.
Respect for goodly values I will always choose
There was no choice but to do it, or self esteem lose,
For their comes a time when you have to pay your dues
To beloved honor uphold
To keep this the land of the free and bold
For country, for neighbors, for family, for God...for self!
So no ma’am, I’m no hero!

Gary Jacobson

I received a reply regarding this poem, "i'm no hero," which reached down and touched me to the core, and writing this through rivers of tears would share it with you, from a lovely lady I know only as Grandma...

Nay, young man, sit over there,
In our dedicated hero's chair.
While people here at home just cried,
While Uncle Sam to nephews lied,
While mothers' hearts were sorely tried,
YOU went to 'Nam and nearly died.

You dealt with gore, you dealt with blood,
You dealt with Vietnam's stinking mud,
You dealt with Charley's stinking breath,
You dealt with every buddy's death,
You were there, and I was not,
I wish I had the guts you've got.

When you got home, you were denied,
The righteous warrior's winning pride.
Your naive innocence forever gone -
No, I don't want to hear it, son.
You just get comfy over there,
In our dedicated hero's chair.

One thing you don't understand
About what makes heroic man.
Heros, too, are oft afraid,
But scared or not, what makes them brave
Is that no matter what the cost,
They do the job they know they must.

With no excuses, no denying,
No appeals, no whining, crying
About "Why me?" and "Why not Joe?"
You went where you were told to go.
You did what must be done out there,
So you go sit in that there chair.

While you were gone, I stayed in school
And heard the loud, protesting fool
Who tore our country near asunder
Ranting in a voice like thunder,
Who burned the great Red, White, and Blue,
Mocking, hating, men like you.

None of them had ever fought.
You were there and they were not.
You saw the horrors of the war
While they reviled you from afar.
I hate to disagree with you,
But you're a hero, tried and true.

So I'll bring cookies, milk, and cheer
And keep you company out here.
The kids will stand around in awe
As you tell stories of the war
And maybe, when your tales are done,
YOU'll know you are a hero, son!

Blessings,
Grandma

[SAMWolf]

only pleasant thoughts
pictures of her in my mind
meeting in my dreams

Thought I'd try some Haiku this morning.

[Soaring Feather]

Good morning Sam.

You poem choice this morning has brought one than one tear to the eye.

Everyone of our precious GIs is a hero! God Bless them all.

[Soaring Feather]

Thought I'd try some Haiku this morning.

Well, I am so glad to see you writing Haiku. Lovely.

[SAMWolf]

Sorry it was so long but I didn 't want to edit it in any way.

[Soaring Feather]

You know Sam I don't do rules. I know it's about syllables, 5, 7, 5 or something like that. I never write structured work. Free Verse only.

There are some poets who might have a fit over it, but not this one.

Oh BTW, I am loving Barry this morning. :-)

[snippy_about_it]

Because I loved my country more than life
Vowed to follow behind patriot’s drum and fife.
To win freedoms to which forefathers clove
Undead regiments with youthful principles war drove!

~

One thing you don't understand
About what makes heroic man.
Heros, too, are oft afraid,
But scared or not, what makes them brave
Is that no matter what the cost,
They do the job they know they must.



Simply beautiful and very moving. Thanks for this mornings tears.

[Soaring Feather]

Memories glitter as gold
Cling like morning mountain dew
His face in mind's embrace

[snippy_about_it]

The haiku is perfect.

[Soaring Feather]

Well, I tried to do rules.

[snippy_about_it]

Pretty feather.

("no rules" is a good thing)

[Soaring Feather]

“Any soldier” letter leads to “happily ever after”
Click the dancers to read
A wonderful true Love Story.

[Darksheare]

Neat.

[Soaring Feather]

Pinging you to Post #456 :-)

[Soaring Feather]

Trying hard to love you
a growing away
has our awkwardness together
pulling in my breath
and apologies found words bridging
deep long canyons between us
I am desired like silky down...

bentfeather
a/k/a LMH
Copyright © 12/28/2003
All Rights Reserved

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Thank you for the ping, poetress bentfeather.

Your threads make me want to stop and rest...and I am bookmarking them for the war's end.

The beauty of a divinely inspired creation ~ one reason why our Soldiers volunteer to spend time in Hell facing demons, to defend a child who loves dragonflies.