THE PUNJI STAKE
Beneath the burned out jungle's scent
Charlie hid his armament
Paths through tunnels came and went
And served as Charlie's earthen tent
Command posts hid beneath the ground
His hospitals would not be found
From up above there was no sound
As Charlie slept or he unwound
Below the deadly booby traps
Under the rain and thunder claps
Charlie poured over his maps
He ate his meals and prayed, perhaps
Inside the spider holes he sat
He raised the plank, his A.K. spat
Then dropped the cover down so that
He would not draw a tunnel rat
Along the trails of our pursuit
His wires stretched to catch our boot
To trip a mine or bamboo shoot
That maimed or killed us while on route
And Charlie watched us from his holes
While we looked for him on patrols
H.Q. kept count like hockey goals
Of wounded, captured, and lost Souls
This day we came across a guy
A punji stake stuck in his thigh
Both pain and fear were in his eye,
"Just get it out!" I said, "I'll try."
I knew his pain was hard to take
I worried that the stake would break
I pulled it fast, but felt him shake
I lost my grip, and stuck my leg
I looked to see if it went in
I saw my blood, it broke my skin
It got me half way up my shin
I wear the scar where it had been
That tip they dipped in human shit
And put where we would step on it
Had got us both, a double hit
And took away our youth a bit
I never saw that guy again
Don't know if he went home, or when
But that day two young boys were men
And he's a part of me since then