Long Hanoi Poems

A True American Hero for the Ages

I thought it would be most appropriate to take a moment to
reflect on the life and public service of the late U.S. senator,
retired U.S. naval officer and aviator, and...

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The pro-Hanoi Vietcong many years ago
In the 1950's Diem's government they'd overthrow
All opposition was crushed killed or jailed
These elected ones to their people they failed

This Buddhist country so religious in belief
Now politically torn apart, impending...

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AND THE MOTHERS WEEP
                               ...

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Don't go calling baby-boomers no heroes
Our legacy won't be much above zero
What GRAND contributions we've made
We blessed you with cocaine and aids!
All pop wanted when he survived the war
Was a quaint little family of four
But...

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MEMORIAL DAY 
June 1, 2015

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To all of you that have ever worn
"THE UNIFORM"
The Uniform of safety and security,
 The Uniform of pride and liberty
THE UNIFORM OF FREEDOM

THE UNIFORM OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
THANK YOU

Thank...

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M. I. A. ( Missing In Action )

The date was nineteen and sixty nine,
A soldier wrote a girl named Caroline,
The VC were starting to close in,
He wasn't sure when he could write again.

But there was...

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SLOW POKES
by
JOHN M. ARRIBAS


A gut wrenching sight I witnessed this morn
A tragic  encounter that left me forlorn
I saw stumbling wrecks of what was strong
Bent over and lame not much time to prolong
They are seniors...

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(In Tudu Hospital in the former Saigon,
several hundred dead babies have been
preserved in formaldehyde.  They are
hideously deformed as a result of their
mothers having been contaminated by
Agent Orange, a chemical diffused in
Vietnam as part of...

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Rice paddy wakes up ready to be planted.
Where are those lazy farmers?
Snicker laughs. Nothing lazy about them.
They are the most cheerful workers she knows
She feels swampy today, colder than usual

The plow is heading her way,...

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Rice paddy wakes up ready to be planted.
Where are those lazy farmers?
Snicker laughs.  Nothing lazy about them.
They are the most cheerful workers she knows
She feels swampy today, colder than usual

The plow is heading her...

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wars we like

Do we like wars as long as it is at our doorstep 
the Russians fought in Afghanistan and lost hands down
the USA took over this unwinnable war so far it has lasted
Twelve years...

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  AIR FORCE


There were those times
On long missions over Laos and the Gulf of Tonkin
When a weariness settled over us
Over pilot and navigator and crew
Settled on us like a resigned acceptance
Like the letting go...

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The Man She Buried

She buried her husband decades ago
He died fighting a needless war
Held prisoner for so many years
He wrote to her every day
Yet, she never heard a word
Her two children never knew their father
They...

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Our leaders who are Caucasians
On some previous occasions
Would A-bomb Japan
And Viet Nam hides tan
But hate all bias against Asians

Author's comment: Hate crime is always bad. Here's an idea for a political cartoon:

Frame 1: Truman and...

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Pirate cat in stealth mode wiggles his joy.
Hunting prey like an eager cat boy.
Rats on the ship were singing ahoy.
Licking their paws in Hawaiian poi.

Three legged cat with his peg leg coy
Fast friends with Pirate...

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