the killing fields

09 May 2015

the killing fields

I hallucinated the worst was over
had traveled across fire
and rice alongside
thousands who looked nothing like me

this waking dream propelled me
back to 1972
when I was just eighteen
and volunteered to free the world

when the war ended I chose to stay
crossed state lines
as an american civilian
aiding and amusing innocent children

many times I had been captured and died
the slowest of deaths
reborn into the same fields
that used to feed a starving people

may two thousand fifteen
copyright j matthew waters
all rights reserved

Posted in Poetry, War Poems and tagged Cambodia, poem, poetry, Vietnam

8 thoughts on “the killing fields”

Wordifull Melanie on May 10, 2015 at 12:33 am said:

This is another WoW poem.

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- j matthew waters on May 10, 2015 at 7:32 am said:
  
  Thank you very much, Melanie, so glad you think so.
  
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Suzy Hazelwood on May 10, 2015 at 2:49 pm said:

Powerful and very thought provoking! There are many kinds of death in this world. Your own experience?

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- j matthew waters on May 10, 2015 at 4:49 pm said:
  
  Thank you very much, Suzy, so glad you think so. Vietnam War affected so many around the world in many different ways. This poem, however, is not of my own experience.
  
  Reply ↓
Björn Rudberg (brudberg) on May 18, 2015 at 6:45 am said:

This of course brought the film with the same name to mind…

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- j matthew waters on May 18, 2015 at 12:12 pm said:
  
  Yes, indeed. I certainly had it mind while writing it.
  
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Heartafire on May 20, 2015 at 6:47 pm said:

Incredible writing , love it so much . Big hug

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- j matthew waters on May 20, 2015 at 7:10 pm said:
  
  Thank you so much, I appreciate you letting me know!
  
  Reply ↓

jdubqca

poetry by j matthew waters