Mark I. Kirkmeyer

I DON’T KNOW

You don’t know about war
You weren’t there in my fight
You didn’t do anything at all
You don’t have a right
Who gave you such insight

No matter where or when
Fighting in a war is hell
There is blood and loss
Cries of pain Medic yell
Stories that you can’t tell

I was fresh out of school
Wet behind the ear
In service three months
He picked up an RPG souvenir
A grenade blew him clear

It happened so fast
The blast deafened me
Stupidity forever lasts
There was nothing to see
They dug his tags from a tree

I don’t know about war
I don’t have a care
It cannot be that I know
I wasn’t over there
I was a kid playing with teddy bear

Drug interdiction missions
Helicopter hit and crash
To hot to complete the drop
They leave in mass
Alone pull victory from our ass

Several good men dead
Burned beyond recognition
The cover up begins
Not defending the nation
It was a training mission

I don’t know about war
I wasn’t there you see
I didn’t go to Vietnam
I can’t have PTSD
What a crock of malarkey

Frostbitten fingers, toes
earlobes and nose
Waiting on the DMZ
Will they come who knows
Visibility lost it snows

Can’t stand up straight
Pain killers for back and knee
Walk with a cane or staff
Keep the chair away from me
I long to be free

I don’t know war
I’m just a “Gulf War Baby”
It’s just a video game now
No more danger to see
No one gets hurt not me.

To fight for some reason
Five times I’ve had to go
Even after medical discharge
Fought in sand, jungle, and snow
War nobody should know