My english class is over and I am going to be posting more poems on here I am guessing within the next few months because I have decided to join my now former english teacher's creative writing class, which I think should be great, because I love his taste in good and bad poetry.

I did a reading log for one of these books of poetry called "From Both Sides Now" which are a ton of poems found or submitted about the Vietnam War. It is from both American and Vietnamese standpoints and is sort of sectioned off in different sections. While putting together my reading log, I didnt really care for any of the poems under the Vietnam War Memorial section, so I decided to write my own. It's pretty true, all except for the "friend to kenny and dave" because I dont know if they really had a friend named Dave or not...

I originally wrote it without any rhyme, but then something ended up rhyming, so I added a few bits of rhyme in there. There is no real pattern, and it's nothing I am too happy about but my teacher enjoyed it, so.... here it goes:

"My Vietnam Vet"

A Polariod is all I knew

giving his finger to the US.

Shirt missing, cigarette in place, dog tags secure just in case.

I saw no hope -- no will

and with that, God ended his life.

A lindmine ripped him apart

as if Angel's came down and fought over his body

carry away pieces for his sacrifice.

I visit a new great wall

and remember his name.

Ray Desmond of Pico Rivera

20 years old; a close friend to Kenny and Dave.

I rustle for paper

to find real estate by Nguyen Tran.

I turn it over and shade

a dead American's name over a living face from Nam.

if you didn't know, Nguyen Tran is a hardcore Vietnamese name...