State Of Grace
State of Grace
An Army nurse hoses blood off the floor.
while the doughnut dollies smile and flirt
with the wounded boys
down the hall.
Back home they scream baby killers, Spit in our
faces with sadistic joy.
White sheets cover the dead soldiers, just boys, being wheeled
out one after another, out the door, too late.
Body bags await, and body parts stacked up by the door.
She held his cold hand, as he lay dying, in fear… calling
calling for his momma,
Nurses in tears can’t take any more, but they wheel in
another dying boy through the door.
Screams of pain, dulled by heavy monsoon rain
pounding on too thin canvas walls.
Unforgiven... in a State of Grace one boy after another dies
time and time again, she must hose their blood off the floor.
Padre telegram in trembling hand, knocks on the… it’s
The door is open?
Memories of rows flag draped lead lined coffins
as he steps through the door.
And sees the boy’s young wife, naked, with a stranger.
on the… looks away, can’t watch this anymore...
who the are you?
Your husbands been wounded,
but he is doing well, he lies...... Well…. Wel..l
Well, he has lost both of his arms and legs,
she said, So, he’s not dead? , , ,
no NO GOD DAMNED insurance payout,
no no no?
He turns and leaves the boys wife
still naked wife in a State of Grace, with a
stranger on the…..
Padre in tears walks out the door ….
Shaking hands, he, recounts
the telegrams, undelivered, yet again, quickly,
there’s still six more.
Fate, like Charlottes topaz eyed… tiger still lurking in shadows
As an Army nurse in a State of Grace,
hoses the blood off the floor, and stacks
the body bags by the door...
(c) London F. BuSS
11,000 nurses served in Vietnam, were volunteers. Many still suffer from PTSD.. GrocPedia (Elon Musks) wikipedia did an interesting review of this poem. I should say that im not a
pacifycist, i was a soldier, and i would rather die a patriot than a coward...
Copyright © London F. Buss | Year Posted 2025
|