Three poems 40 years after the end of the War in Vietnam
By J. Randall O’Brien
February 15,2015
Ode to Nam on the 40th Anniversary of its End
he came home from nam
But never made it back.
I saw him last just before
he left for the war.
We celebrated his return
his presence being our only lack.
cheering glasses were raised
repeatedly before
We noticed his eyes and long hair were with us
But not his mind.
after the party he walked to the Vietnam memorial
and killed himself real fine.
On Coming Home From Nam
she cried as he left, clinging to his saint Christopher
chaining around his neck, eyes kissing his as he pressed his face
against the bus window
For one last embrace.
he cried as he read her letter, clinging to his dreams
dying in the important war,
eyes watering falling as he pressed his nose
against her perfumed envelope
For one last taste.
she cried when he came home, clinging to her prayers
that the shrapnel had not been hers,
eyes pleading as the soldiers pressed the flag
against the box and lowered it
to its resting place.
War! What is it Good For?
Mother, mother, mother, he wailed and I cried too.
What child should lose his legs because
presidents blew their moral responsibility to solve
our differences?
Father, father, father of our country, we cussed you.
What protector, moral, caring wouldn’t
peace pursue
regardless of his enemy’s
deeds and inferences?
Mother’s on her way, i screamed and crawled to
What brother i could
hold as he could cleave to
Until our bookie presidents could come to their senses.
soldier, son, daughter, what more could i do
What world so evil that i must
sacrifice you
of humankind suffer far worse
consequences?
J. Randall O’Brien, president of Carson-Newman College in Tennessee following a distinguished career at Baylor University, is a highly respected pastor, scholar, and writer. He served in Vietnam in the 101st Airborne Division and received the Bronze Star and United
