REQUIEM in a SMALL TOWN
[No. 5713739, 5/RAR]
City fringed patchwork of flock, forest, field and herd,
luxuriously arid land,
painted in eucalypt and gibber.
In our stubbled fields, begging rain –
soils compacted by tractors –
coffin ranked rows of drying hay bales laude and honour our
sons, husbands, brothers, friends.
Stubbled in ‘Nam,
lie they now on our
compacted hearts – begging remembrance.
Begging –
but our austral parks and ageing cenotaphs
subscribe to colonial virtues – Lest We Forget.
Lest We Forget –
Imperial lies and Anglophile stones
with no space allowed for our disowned dead.
Lest We Forget –
those jackeroo statesmen who mustered, knackered
and consumed our generation in their pride.
Lest We Forget –
That in our protests we proclaimed them “Anathema” to us.
To us –
safe in the Dreamtime of our distant and callous rhetoric.
Forget? –
Cuneiform holes, sandbagged, sour with their sweat.
Forget? –
Smouldering flesh begging body bags.
Coffin ranked lay they now
in our stubbled and compacted memories –
begging acceptance.
More than park or monument seek they
in this luxuriously arid land.
* * * *
© J. Gagiikwe 1968
Author notes
Explanatory Notes for non-Australians:
· Lance Corporal Marenko “Tich” Thomas, No. 5713739, 5th Battalion/Royal Australian Regiment. KIA: July 8, 1966, age 21. Born in Yugoslavia, raised in Nannup Shire. . He opposed Australia’s involvement in the war; but felt it was his duty to serve his adopted country. His parents are now deceased. His brothers and their families survive him. Tich was Western Australia’s first Viet Nam War National Service KIA. Buried in Nannup Cemetery, local park named after him.
· Eucalypt is the predominant flora in Australia.
· gibber – a type of pebble, gibber plains - a type of soil
· Lest We Forget: is the motto of all veterans’ remembrance functions in Australia. The Returned Servicemen’s League [RSL] refuses to allow Viet Nam vets to hold membership in their organization. Australia’s Viet Nam vets didn’t receive national recognition until just a few years ago; when a formal remembrance march was held in Sydney.
· “Cenotaphs and anglophile stones,….colonial values” - Almost all Aussie villages settled before 1915 have cenotaphs in memory to WW1 casualties, so widespread was the carnage. Some monuments [and even towns] are dedicated to the English generals who sent ANZAC troops to their deaths. Australia had been a collection of British colonies until 1901, and her colonial mentality was still strong.
· Jackeroo = cowboy
· Knackered = butchered [a ‘knackers yard’ = abattoir]
Dreamtime: Indigenous concept of creation myths. Used here to convey the mythic qualities of the protestors' ideologies
A contest entry
- Your oldest prewrite poems and my 20th contest by stargazer..
650 points, ended April 20, 417 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What is the difference between jingoism and patriotism?
Comments
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This a strong and most overdue tribute to those given up or scarred forever in Vietnam. I applaud you for such a write. This reminded me of a news story I read a few days ago. Here in the states we have a small scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial wall that travels to various places. It was displayed near our town recently and one Nam vet stated that a Boy Scout who was greeting people as they arrived shook his hand and thanked him for his service. The veteran said it was the first time anyone had thanked him for his service in Vietnam and he couldn't help but shed a tear. Unfortunate to say the least that so many have turned their backs on those who were involved. Thanks for this write.
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i have friends who were in Vietnam and all would congratulate you for this piece of poetry. So many suffered from that war, and even now 2009, some are still suffering. Their logical minds all but destroyed by what they experienced. I have not seen a time in my 75 years of life when there was no wars anywhere, sad indictment on those in power. A wonderful write, just as relevant today as when you wrote it. 'Lest We Forget'.
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Very moving
Despite the words 'Lest we forget' I think that the Vietnam war is one that most would rather forget. Those involved did not come out in a blaze of glory. Was is a purely political? I don't know but a lot of good men were lost not only through death or so it appears. Young men fighting for no cause of their own with little idea why they were there but that they were doing what was expected of them. I have looked at the ages on memorial walls and look at my two teenage sons now knowing that I could not bear to loose them in this way unless I felt the cause was worthy. I'm sure that 'Tich' is happy now and is remembered by the ones he held most dear, by those he loved.
A heartwrenching write.
Hugs
Cherry xxx
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I appreciate the honour you do to the man, and to his fellow Vietnam vets, who still get the wrong end of the stick in many Australian communities. I marched in the 1970?(I could be a year out there) march led by Jim Cairns (and Junie Morosi!) in protest against Australian involvement in the war (at the time it was still called a peace-keeping mission) but had been involved in similar protests in New Zealand prior to that. I lost friends, not only killed in action, but who died later, back at home, from various conditions including exposure to Agent Orange. A friend of mine was instrumental in forcing the Australian Government to recognise the various cancers caused, not only to those men, but now through another two generations, as being war injuries. He had to travel to America, at his own expense, to find help to promote this cause. He now lives in S E Asia, a very ill man but still alive and still honoured by those fortunate enough to have known him. I deplore war, but honour those who fight, and fought, for the welfare of others. Indeed, they shall not grow old, as we who are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.
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Oh. This is a really good poem that you have penned in here.
I like political poems. I think that it's important that people keep in touch with their countries issues and history. This is a great example of that. I thought you did a good job with a tough subject to approach.
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luvdrkchocolate
Hi Chockie,
Political girl, eh?
If you have access to Share poetry, there should be my poem there on George Bush; Gopher Pile. Suggest improvements please.
At least 1/3rd of my poems have some political bend.
Hope you find some you like.
J.G.
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It is a great pity that these words are echoed throughout the free world in towns and villages far removed from the outback.
>LEST WE FORGET< it was because of the brave and gallant forces from all countries during the past fifty years that we now have the ablility to communicate out thoughts in this forum.
Whom ever or where ever you may be, spare a thought for all who have given their lives in the name of freedom.
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tarcus
Hello Kevin,
If I understood you correctly, your response was a criticsm of what you took to be a disrespectful attitude towards those who have paid with their lives for the freedoms we enjoy today. If so, I guess you rather misread the poem; or, its very Aussiness left you confused. It was originally [1968] intedned for an Aussie audience.
If you were insensed perhaps some info would help clear up your misunderstanding.
I volunteerd for service in Vietnam after the Tet Offensive. But, by the mercy of God I didn't serve there.
Tich Thomas was a well respected young man, who left behind a fiancee,his parents and older brothers. Nannup is a very small logging and farming community in Western Australia's southwest. His death left a large hole in the area.
In 1986 I was instrumental in organising the naming and equipping of a children's park in his honour; with the assistance of the Free Vietnamese community.
Tensions run high in Nannup, between older vets and Vietnam vets, and VNV aren't allowed into the RSL hall.
If you wish I can send you a complete commentary on the stanzas.
As for not honouring those who served. Sorry mate, you grapped the wrong end of the stick. What I do object to are useless wars and the slaughter of innocents.
If you wish, please read my poems: Tsi-ka-ma-gi; Long Tan, Fillagree Cross, A Tryptych of Silences; and the Long Valley. But give me a couple hours to get all of them on this site.
Oh, I've lived over half my life in Oz bush communities.
If you still don't get the point, please let me know.
I don't engage in E-rage; but am happy to discuss honest difference.
J.G
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