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Atheists In Foxholes

Two young men in vietnam 
Sit in a foxhole one night
While chatting and talking about there families
and sharing pictures of each others wives

But along in the Dark distance
Came a bright and shimmering light
The light came down from the sky
like a shooting star in midflight

Charley was spreading
into the jungles of the night
Shouting out to one another 
Tat ca deu chet dêm nay 
which means they all die tonight 

As the men laid in the foxhole
watching people running for there life
One of the men said we must flee
the other man said not I

The one man said
In the bright shimmering light
But why does one not flee 
and run too save his own life

The other man looked deep
Deep down in the man's eyes
and says I shall do as my fathers did
I shall stay, I shall fight and I shall die

The fleeing man had a face
a face full of surprise
He asked why does thou not flee with me
on this very hour tonight

He said I just can't do it
it's not the way I was raised
my mother always taught me
to  have a little faith

See I believe in God
and I believe he has a plan
and if it's my time to go
might as well be like a man

So now do you see why,
why one does not flee tonight
why I choose to stay 
and risk my life and fight?

The fleeing man said no
and ran into the dark jungle night

So the one man kept his word
with every inch of his might
sitting in his little foxhole
and fighting throughout the rest of the night

Until his upmost surprise
came mornings first daylight
he seemed to have survived
survived for one more night

Re-gathered with his troops
all thankful to be alive
the man began to search
for his friend that ran off that night

asking all the troops
if they had seem him around
he finally came to the realization
that his friend was nowhere to be found

But he forgot to check
where he should have looked before
because there laid his friend colorless
and lifeless on the floor

So the Vietnam war ended, it took so many lives
but the man who said that he shall stay and fight
now lives at home with that same wife

for he every sunday
visits a tall white ivory stone
on the front it reads, I miss you
and I cant believe that your gone

But with all the Commemorative plaques
and monumental poles
theres one saying that still holds true
there are no atheists in foxholes

Copyright © | Year Posted 2009




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Date: 7/23/2009 2:24:00 PM
A story which happens over and over as long as mothers & fathers teach their children to fight when called and die when asked to. A very good verse for the "War what is it good for" contest...even it out a bit in meter & stick to quatrains/groupings of 4 with 2nd & 4 line rhyming. Light & Love..PS use your Capitals too
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Date: 7/20/2009 9:13:00 PM
Yes, I knew one of thoes once, incidentally also in the service, untill I put him to the test! It didn,t hold true either! God Bless, Moses
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Date: 7/20/2009 8:42:00 PM
this is good. check out some of my poems
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