poems for April poetry month competition |
Ghosts in Vietnam 63 lines Back in 1994, I first visited Vietnam I came back in 2019 prior to the COVID lockds. I was a few years too young To have gone to Vietnam During the war. But having gr up In Berkeley, I knew a lot About the war. When I came back in 2019 We stayed near the Pham Ngu Lao Backpackers district, filled with foreigners. Many of them were elderly men Returning to Vietnam. Revisiting the country Where they had fought The war was so long ago. I could not shake the feeling there were ghosts of the dead Still roaming around the country. We went on a tour of the Chu Chi tunnels The Viet Kong used throughout the war. The US-led coalition was never able To completely shut d the tunnels Or even locate many of them. The tunnels have been restored Part of the war tourism industry That has emerged in Vietnam Vietnam is both proud that they defeated the US But has also become friendly I and my wife entered the tunnel I had to crawl through the tunnels And began to panic Imagining that the tunnels Were filled with the enemy That was ready to kill me I saw the ghosts of both the Viet Kong And the hapless US soldiers fighting them I felt that I had gone back in time Was there I got out fleeing the ghosts Who was laughing at me. When I got back While having dinner In the backpacker's district I look up and saw An old American dressed in full battle gear Having a beer across the street I went back to my dinner Looked up a few minutes later The man was gone And I felt I had seen Yet another ghost In Vietnam. |