His Empty Eyes

by Gary Jacobson © 2003
See into the eyes of the man
Come from verdant Vietnam
Who’s seen too much
Done too much
Suffered trials too much
Pushed too far from the common man’s touch
Trying to find
That ever-elusive peace of mind...

Look into his blank eyes hollowed deep
Look where darkened horrors buried inside keep
Understand secrets feeble man cannot reconcile
In the end surviving life no longer a feat agile
Strength, imagination, deeds of courage, too fragile
Remember a war long past
Forcing him to grow up too fast
Remember unlucky brothers that hadn’t long to last.

This veteran has outflanked life’s true meaning
Outlived combat brothers yet grieving...
No longer will inherit our nation's richness
Wide eyes lost, bleeding in his heart its essence
Deadened, captured in evil’s torturous past
Numbly unable to focus on a present cast
Everywhere he looks, he sees fiendish horror profound
Sensory overload in nebulous existence bound.

It’s so hard to keep caring
A troubled world to keep on surviving ...
Hiding from Hell’s remembering
Fears forevermore recurring
The loss of brothers plays on his mind
Painful memories rack his being unkind
Burned out scenes every night he sees ...
Flashing back as snipers in the trees...


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