VIETNAM WAR POETRY
CHIMERA
Highway 19, between Pleiku and Qui Nhon, 1969

by:Enrique del Rosario
© Copyright 1969

CHIMERA
by Enrique B. del Rosario

Colonel trig the beloved
Officer silverstarred and purplehearted
Never has made a mistake to us
Says we must win the heartsandminds of vietnamese
Civilians and soldiers efficiently
Issues orders to be followed
Exactly so there's no misunderstanding
Now phuc's life dreams lie
Cancelled out because of a non-Error

I was riding back with a U.S. Army convoy composed of trucks, jeeps, and tanks on the way to Pleiku when we entered a wide valley. The convoy commander, halted the convoy, stood upon his tank, and watched as two of his tanks left the convoy and run over a Vietnamese dwelling that was near the highway. I hope that no one was in the house when it was crushed to the ground.