When Does it End
We had our own language, we learned it quick;
We used words like grunt, FNG
and pungi stick.
Two days out of the bush I found myself home;
In a city full of people I felt alone.
People always ask, “What’s it like in war?”
You sit in a bar, you sit facing the door.
You pray that you forget after all the years;
My only battle now is fighting back the tears.
As a Point Man you’re trained to look out for
dangers;
In a world of people all you meet are
strangers.
A man robs a store, a Vietnam Vet he must be;
A doctor, hard hat or college student he can’t
be.
I want to tell my wife of nightmares far away;
I’m afraid she’ll get scared and go away.
My kids play loud and for this I yell;
My wife and kids they share my hell.
At 18 years of age you patrolled in the mud;
Now at 39 you earn $7.00 for a pint of blood.
I came home a loser, that’s what they said;
I guess the winners were the ones that came
home dead.
Michael D. Monfrooe
1988