...it's not dark yet, but it's gettin' there...

December 07, 2005

Wednesday Is Poetry Day

i did a search for Pearl Harbor poetry and i came up with this one, by Walt McDonald, published in Valparaiso Poetry Review.

It's nice, but this next one, also by McDonald is really nice, and still timely.


The War In Bosnia

Under darkness of stars our son flies
over Bosnia, keeping watch over snow.
Apache gunships will be out tonight.

The moon on foreign snowfields highlights
bodies running under trees, friend or foe.
Under darkness of stars our son flies

with star scope and rockets and wide eyes
over war zones bitter enemies know.
Apache gunships will be out tonight.

What keeps a nation armed and justifies
air power is such a killing field—we know,
but under darkness of stars our son flies.

In boots and parka, someone watches the skies
and owns disposable Stingers, and is cold.
Apache gunships will be out tonight.

I conjure God to stop him, warp his sights.
I stare with the prayer all fathers know.
Under darkness of stars our son flies.
Apache gunships will be out tonight.


Not to nitpick about this excellent poem, but wasn't there a controversy about the use of Apaches in Bosnia. As i recall, they trained and trained, and lost a few during manuevers, but never used them in combat.

Posted by annika, Dec. 7, 2005 | TrackBack (0)
Rubric: Poetry



Comments

I think it was during the Kosovo air campaign. If I remember correctly, Gen. Clark wanted to use Apaches in conjunction with a limited ground force invasion. He didn't want the Apaches to go in alone because of their vulnerability to SAM's. I think Clinton fired Clark for arguing over pulling his decision to pull the troops option off the table. However, I might be wrong about all of this.....

Wikipedia time.....

Posted by: reagan80 on Dec. 7, 2005

Clinton fired Clark for being an arrogant asshole.

Give credit where credit is due.

Even a blind squirrel finds a nut now and then...

Posted by: shelly on Dec. 10, 2005