Green (poem by my late husband)

[Dolores]

Hi all,
My late husband, Gene, wrote a lot of stories about his experiences in Vietnam, and this poem is one of my favorites because it must have been hard to find humor at that time, but he managed. Read on and enjoy!


GREEN
by Eugene Lee Neese, Jr. USMC 1965-1968

For many years I wondered if I would ever like
the color green or even olive drab.
For once upon a time that's all I ever wore.
I was issued a green uniform with a nice green hat
and socks to match, of course.
Later came the green helmet with camouflaged cover
that could be reversed, depending on what green things
were around you. . .
But then came Vietnam and things only got worse.
The rice paddies were green, and so was the jungle.
The VC wore green occasionally augmented with black.
At least they had a change of color once in awhile.
The water was green and when the sweat poured through
your uniform the spots they made were green.
The tanks were green and even the packs.
Sometimes when I looked close at my skin
I noticed a slight pallor of. . .you guessed it. . .green.
Even the food started turning green after awhile.
With all this green my mind would wander. . .
After all I was only a lean Marine, a Gyrene, called Gene,
who once hated the color green.


****** Please use this poem, have it printed if you wish, but please give Eugene Lee Neese, Jr. (1946-1998) credit. Thank you.

Dolores

[Rocky C]

Will do and Thank you for Sharing!!!

Semper Fi,
Rocky