Ode to Vietnam
By: McKenna Matus
A boy wakes up on his 18th birthday to a cloud of thick grey smoke. With heavy and tense breath, he blows out his flaming candle of life to a dull, cowering ember.
We dance the war and sorrow away.
Fire friendly, they say. If you don't hit, you miss. But friendly fire sends loyal comrades into a solemn abyss.
We dance the war and sorrow away.
Jungle vines tangle the legs and arms and minds of foot soldiers. One false step and their minds and arms and legs become one with the roots of trees.
We dance the war and sorrow away.
Battalions approach villages lined with rows of dismal children. Blinded by their ability to see, their pity does not reward them. The enemy emerges like crocs from pools of innocence and attack like the spitting boa.
We dance the war and sorrow away.
The lucky ones live to see the light of day at home with the darkest posters; IS THIS THE AMERICAN WAY? Scream for peace to combat the whispers of deceitful foreign diplomacy.
We dance the war and sorrow away.
Homeward bound. Finally, at last. Seeking new refuge from the terror of the past. But which hurts worse; a dagger in your gut or daggering stares of disapproval and shame?
We dance the war and sorrow away.
A fan spins in a motel etched with filthy, musty green. Our general, our valiant leader, bangs his head and trembles with horror. The chopping of choppers, the blading of blades. These sounds, to him, they resonate.
We dance the war and sorrow away.
I found this imagery to be powerful: Jungle vines tangle the legs and arms and minds of foot soldiers. One false step and their minds and arms and legs become one with the roots of trees. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteHi.Mckenna;
ReplyDeleteI would like to mention that you have written a powerful piece on the topic of war and it`s ambiguities. I especially liked the refrain"We dance the war and sorrow away" I want to read more.
I agree with Larry that your repetition is really impactful--on top of the refrain he pointed out, you also repeat words in interesting ways throughout the piece.
ReplyDeleteThe repetition in this poem is very powerful!
ReplyDeleteWar is hell, no it is worst than hell. It takes away the present and destroys the future. Your writing is outstanding. Keep us remembering.
ReplyDeleteI love the tone of this piece, it's so chilling. So many moments gave me goosebumps, especially phrases like "blinded by their ability to see." Also love the metaphor with the candle in the first paragraph. Such a great job.
ReplyDeleteI appreciated the juxtaposition of the dance and the war- I was transported to a Native American medicine ceremony for the returning men to "release the bad"- I often think that much of our culture is not able to cope with modern life challenges because there are no ways to "dance our wars away."
ReplyDeleteI too found the repetition to be very powerful
ReplyDeletePowerful imagery and so real! Love the repetitive stanza “We dance the war and sorrow away!
ReplyDeleteI have read and re-read your piece many times. I have been both anxious and afraid to comment. I am a cold war veteran and I have many friends who are Vietnam era veterans. First I have to say that I am impressed by the way you captured the many emotions and feelings that still surround the Vietnam experience. I wonder how you gained such impressive insight. I can't wait to share this piece with my friends. I will share some of their replies in future comments.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many great lines. Like Celeste, one of my favorites was "blinded by their ability to see". Also impressive were: "Scream for peace to combat the whispers of deceitful foreign diplomacy." and "But which hurts worse; a dagger in your gut or daggering stares of disapproval and shame?"
There are so many things to talk about, I may have to comment again. Thanks for inspiring so much thought!
I was also impressed by the repetitive use of "We dance the war and sorrow away." First I thought of the rhythm of music and dance. To me that was a powerful way to include this idea in your piece. That drew a parallel for me to the rhythms of wars and armies. You also capture it when you describe the helicopters. I think all humans find comfort in repetition. Is dancing that different from marching?
DeleteI was also struck by how everyone turned to music, dance and all arts to cope with Vietnam. I thought about our soldiers listening to many of the same songs as protestors back home. The Vietnamese probably also heard much of that same music. Of course they also had their own music and culture to seek comfort in. In my mind, I couldn't help but flash between scenes of an anti-war protest, soldiers listening to music in their camp, and military awards ceremonies. All ways of coping. Special thanks to Dominic for the information on the Native American ceremony and a thought provoking question.
As you can tell, I like looking for common threads. When you describe the 18 year old in your opening, I wondered if you were talking about an American, a South Vietnamese or a North Vietnamese boy. When you write "The enemy emerges like crocs from pools of innocence and attack like the spitting boa." I thought that both sides in Vietnam probably had some version of that same thought. In fact, isn't that true today? Was all of this intentional when you wrote the piece?
DeleteFor me, you have painted a picture (or maybe made a video). It was certainly worth more than a thousand words. Well done and thank you.