Reconnaissance Patrol

RECONNAISSANCE PATROL by JOHN M. ARRIBAS Scheduled for patrol tonight, damn I got the point We must secure at least one exiting point I hate night patrols, transiting from cover to debouch I might be leading my buddies straight into an ambush I’m not sure but daylight patrols seem safer Locating trip wires and mines, I surely prefer Cloudy moonlit night need to avoid silhouetting I’ve a hole in my stomach, I’m hyperventilating Calm down: get totally focused on the mission Got to think clearly and quickly on every decision Men following are depending on my judgements Assess the enemys location, avoiding assailments Clean my weapon, oil it, grease the slides Boy, my mom can bake deep dish apple pies Can’t get distracted with personal thoughts Thanksgiving she made a dessert using apricots Remove objects anything that might make noise Nervous as hell, can’t show it, maintain my poise We’re all assembled, this recon calls for eight Should have taken cute little Gloria out on a date Man has a cold: coughing, too risky, he’s excused Dismissing the tail gunner, man I sure hate to lose Recheck your equipment, blacken your face Don’t bunch up, stay in line, keep up with the pace Move out, no talking, til we accomplish the mission Go together, return together, a silent supplication I was inspired to write this poem by conversations I had back in the 1960s with a World War 2 veteran who served from D-day to VE-day and had gone on numerous night patrols. His wife, Gloria, told me they were married for more than ten years before he started sleeping without a light on.