Apart - a Rhyme Hardcore on a Jungle War

"I do not believe that the men who served
in uniform in Vietnam
have been given the credit they deserve.
It was a difficult war
against an unorthodox enemy."
U.S. General William C. Westmoreland
(1914 - 2005)

A bronze star, a Purple Heart,
These are the things that set me apart.

The chopper sits in unknown lands;
My body's raised by others' hands.
As morphine courses through my soul,
I realize I'm no longer whole.

The northern force came charging in;
Artillery mowed down my men,
M-16 clutched, I stood to win
But heard the angel's violin.

The vines above, they blocked the sun.
I never saw him raise his gun.
In moments, we were overrun.
"Stick a fork in us; we're done."

No welcome party, no return -
A dozen US flags were burned.
Pull back the shade, as memories churn
Of lessons no one hoped to learn.

Now thirty years have come and gone.
I wonder, as I trim my lawn,
Did we discover freedom's song
Or tangle where we didn't belong?

A bronze star, a Purple Heart,
These are the things that set me apart.