MINeD JOURNEY |
April 14, 2014
Name: Andrew Kaufmann
Returned from: Iraq
Hometown: Montpelier, VA
Email: [email protected]
AUTUMN FALL
Inside the tree's movement
Of thought, it weaves new dreams
Like the spider spinning
A silken thread
From which he falls slowly in the wind
From high branches
The memories persist
Some good, some bad
But all intact - they conquer every space
Every synapse, every second
As the branches sway
So does the spider
His web, stretched from strain
Snaps and recoils from pressure
THE BAG
An ordinary object - longer and colored
It hopes to stay empty
For as long as possible
Unfortunately it gets filled
By a brother or sister
Who has fallen
You unzip it slowly to reveal the black
You may notice hair or lifeless eyes
You may not recognize any of the contents
Some are partially full
With parts in no particular order
A piece, a torso, a head, a hand
It's still your comrade
What's left leaves a mark
Not for them - but for you
As you close your eyes later
You see them as they are now
And try to see them as they were
It is hard - it is scary - it is reality
THE ROSE OF JERICHO
Rolled up in a tight little ball
I picked some - out of curiosity
It was odd to see
Life in a barren place
Nestled in a cropping of rocks
On the Syrian border
A tangled mess
Death it seemed
Had come to this
I left it on a shelf
And spilled some water on it
Almost as if by magic
She opened
And proved
That what may seem dead
Can always live again
Whether tangible or not
It brought a smile to my face
And reminded me that those gone
Will always live inside
SALAH
Just a boy
Innocent
Friends to all
Insistent
Smiles all day
Friendship
Reminds us of family
Far away
Deception from his family
He is gone
Death was his reward
A head in a box
Why did they do this?
Thrown at the gate
Why did he receive that terrible fate
Salah - you are remembered.
SAND FAR AND WIDE
Tasting the grit
Feeling the sting
Sand all around
Fast in a blur
Slow in the sun
Blistering to touch
Burning the eyes
Tears in the rain
Lips chapped and raw
There is no reprieve
From the tiniest grains
That invade every space
Sanctuaries are scarce
Arms cannot shield
Sand far and wide
The above poems are from the unpublished collection MINeD JOURNEY. Kaufmann (aka Turtle) and GI Jenn are co-hosts of the Warrior Talk Radio podcasts, and partners for "HEAR Our Veterans" on Facebook.
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