Gene's Vietnam poetry

[Dee Dee]

Hi all,
My late husband Eugene Neese, Jr. USMC Vietnam ("F" Btry, 2dBn, 12thMar 3dMarDiv(Rein)FMF) wrote many poems about his time in Vietnam. I may have posted one of them here, but I would like to share more:

GREEN

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 saw or 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 word 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.


CAN YOU HEAR ME?

Just now, I remembered not too long ago
when I sat on the side of a mountain
and far up above me in the clear blue skies
an airplane circled towards the south faintly.
One could hear the props, but I could not talk to it.

My radio was shattered beyond repair.
The back up radio had disappeared in a violent burst of greys and dirt.

Now there are six of us
when we once numbered 24.
The green of the valley poked
its tendrils up towards us,
the rocks and holes all around us.
And, I couldn't talk to the airplane
flying so high up above.

Silence, except for an occasional buzzing sound that
announced the presence of an AK-47.

And above me in the clear blue skies
an airplane winging its way to the horizon
and I can't talk to it.



Written by Eugene Lee Neese, Jr. (1946-1998)
Vietnam -1965
posted by Dee Dee

[Riven37]

Before you post any more is your late husbands work copywritted ? If not, don't post them on the Internet unless you don't care if other people lay calim as its their work.

I have many pomes I also worte even though mine are under copywrite protection for 100 years I still worte post them on the Internet I rather buy them in a book. just food for thought.

[Flyfish99]

Good poems , good advice !