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Ode to the Medic 
Ode to the medic, who never stood so tall As when bending to help brothers who by enmities anger fall For these combat physicians feel the spirit of duty's call To administer aid in succor to those in pain Give comforting solace to those who nagging battle stain Regardless of man’s wind and fire and pouring rain. 
Holds his brother’s hand in soothing caresses Prays withering fire for one moment be suppressed Uses healers hands to mend the sore oppressed Helps God to guide a dying brother to his final rest Feeds his brother’s soul in times of want so blessed. Medic, O medic Hovering o’er a buddy with such cautioned dread Lay your healing hands upon a brother's head Bring this soldier back from the land of the dead Breathe life into this dusty mass burned black Stifle blood seeping from every fissured crack. 
Restore a body like charcoal flaking “Doc, I’m too pretty to die... That a tear I see in your eye?” Said a soldier through thin lips, features distorted in pain Felled by this cruel war abiding insane. And even God Almighty can’t stop the monsoon rain. “You just might make it,” Doc says grimly “You get aid quick enough,” he said quite sincerely. “I’ll breathe sweet life back into you, you’ll see.” But thought to himself, brother's legs are blown away Only bloody nubs remain, pink and gray Hurt and afraid, this brother, freedom’s voucher One leg laid beside him in the stretcher. While a wounded warrior moans in dying rhapsody Boots and pant leg intact lie severed beside his body. Somebody had found them, And laid them beside him, Perhaps thinking "Doc" could simply plug them back in Like sis’s Barbie Doll when she lost an arm, leg, or head Plug up the holes leaking crimson red. Doc worked, with one eye on his buddy The other watching the bushes for recalcitrant Charlie Working despite the harm Put a sling on his friends shattered arm Doing his job where men did their worst ... and danger Was no stranger. He put pressure on an exit wound where a bullet hadn't missed Made a hole twice the size of your fist That bullet designed to tear and twist To turn and rip on impact To leave an excruciated body by torment racked Shattering bone. “I gonna be okay, Doc?" he asked with frightning tone. “O God, why don’t you let me alone.” "You’ll be alright," Doc lied I get this anguished bleeding stopped curdling inside.” Pull the tape tighter around the splints Look away so my eyes don’t give away hints. “Brother, you’ve lost a leg, but your life’s impearled You just won a one-way ticket back to the world?” “Oh God, it hurts. It hurts so bad. Doc, why do you look so sad? Where am I? I feel like such a bonehead!” Fitfully he screams half-under bursts, in blinding shock “Can’t you give me something frightful pain to block? God, I've never felt more pain in my life Why are you cutting me with that cold knife? “Doc, where am I? What happened?” Said Doc's friend through lips by battle blackened “Cutt ... is Cutt all right? he quietly whispered Through body heaving, so badly fractured. I saw him fall ... Cutt make it through the bloody fight? Oh what tales we’ll tell when I see him tonight.” "Yes, he's fine," Doc lied. "He's just resting." "Doc, I saw the VC supply depot exploding Doc, did we get 'em? Did we get some? Damn ‘em! "Yeah, we got some," Doc said His hands holding his brothers covered sticky red. "I could see it in crescendoe burning... All night raining molten fire exploding, I could feel its heat my skin scorching. Doc, how many were there? I saw VC falling everywhere...” Doc, my mouth feels slimy, like covered in chalk. How soon can I get back to the battle walk?” Doc calms a brother, flashbacks hallucinating, Reliving old remembered stories past dreaming Just go along with him. Better for him he keeps talking Keep him from thinking, from on the truth dwelling. “Doc, must have been two companies come charging? God, they’re coming at us from two directions killing... God, kill 'em, kill 'em, Oh God, kill 'em! Doc, it hurts. It hurts so bad to the bone!" "I'm here," said Doc. “I won’t leave you alone.” "Doc, 'A' Company, hundred and ten men ... good men! Fifty percent annihilated ... mowed down, mutilated. Doc, we don't have enough ammo. They just keep coming. Oh Doc, I don’t wanna fight no mo’.” A dying brother, trying hard to suppress a cry, Choked through a mouth bricky dry, “Oh Doc, we've got to get reinforcements... We need more men, more ammo, more armaments.” He cried, biting down hard on barbed-wire lips As slowly, life’s fluids from his torn body drips. “I want to rise,” he said ... “so hard to stay still So much I need to finish, in that brush to kill Damned Charlie... How dare he kill me! Death can’t now my victory rob He began to sob. Gotta fight til the fighting’s done, it’s a grunt’s job.” “Oh God, It’s not fair ... it’s just not fair. Doc, We got into more trouble than we could handle Got ourselves into a fair hell of a muddle!” I don't understand why I’m not on the battlefield lying With the last breath in me crying Before the gods of war dying. Doc, what happened? Who else is there?" Who else did a bullet with their name on it dare? Just you,” Doc lied, He saw a smile crease his dirty face, in his eyes the final pride. "I'm going home to 'the world with a Purple Heart. Mother will be so proud ... O the bragging she’ll start.” “Purple heart ... George Washington ... he’s the best Be proud to wear George on my chest "George Washington ... he was a bad mothah." "Yeah,” Doc said, “George was a bad mothah. Purple heart’s for soldiers wounded in action hostile" That this warior's rusty blood does rile “Well, they got that right... War’s treacherous cunning, tricky stratagem in killing guile delight.” “Oh God, I'm dead," "You're not dead. You're not dead,” Doc said “Believe now in my warrior’s word... Still in your heart the ireful sword.” “Doc, tell them I'm no damned hero! I’m just another grunt this verdant land to furrow Planting seeds of peace to grow. "Doc, I don't wanna go back to 'the world,' They don’t wanna see this warrior’s spirit unfurled. They won't like what I’ve become when I get back Living with the demons my soul constantly attack. My mother won't like me. I'm scared as shit." "She'll be glad to see you. She’ll understand a bit.” "She won't understand." "You're her son. She loves you! She'll understand!" "She don't know I'm a killer ...haunted by men I've killed Christ, ev'ryones done that ... but I'm a killer, in my heart. Killing’s the only thing I know how to do good. Am I too hard, Doc? She won't like me bein' so hard.” She tol' me her friends don't like hearing about the war. Says my brother's friends are protesting the war. Telling him his brother is a 'baby killer.' She told me if I talk about the killing she won't be writing. “She writes stuff like that ... letters wet from tears she’s crying. Doc, It's like she can't handle thoughts of me dying.” “Oh God, I’m sore afraid ... it hurts!" "Don't talk like that, for fear the will-to-live subverts You're gonna make it. You're one of the lucky ones. You're gonna be all right ... I feel it in my bones. Just rest now, everything's okay. You won the lottery Won a Purple Heart and ticket home today. "Doc, I can't feel anything ... is my leg still there? I don't wanna die, Doc, please don't let me die here. Mother's convinced herself I'm just off to college, see Like on a foreign vacation spree, Or somethin' … just not here. Maybe it would be better for us all if I die here.” "You're gonna be just fine," Doc, humoring him lied Making a brothers last minute easy as possible while he died Though calming assurance his tortuous inner grief belied All keeping Doc from screaming was his pride. Though he was glad it wasn't him there dying Fighting rising guilt within building Enormously frustrating. "Am I dead? Am I dead? Please, tell me if I'm dead. Will I die from foul wounds I’ve bled?” I don't wanna die in no damned jungle. Leave my blood with this alien land to mingle. Don't let me die in no damned jungle, God." Don't want my blood nourishing Vietnam sod.” Doc watched the lights go out, Felt inside the primal shout. Sometime later, drawn, melancholy and blue Slumped sick and weary of war, and its dying too Doc watched through an opening in the jungle canopy Tired and full out of all charitable philanthropy Watched forlornly for the dustoff medevac to come To take another brother home!...  If you approve of this site, please show your approval by clicking above graphic...which will enter your vote for "Vietnam Picture Tour," as a top military site! Please Be Kind and my Guestbook sign, |
