They unloaded the dead and maimed right before our eyes
They washed out the blood, we loaded our ruck’s and then took to the skies
Over the mountains, villages, and valleys we flew
Where we would land we had not a clue
Bullets are flying, the LZ is hot
We’re leaving this bird whether we like it or not
30 seconds they yelled, Lock N Load and grab your shit
Get ready to go and make it quick
My heart is pumping adrenalin through all of my veins
I run as fast as I can through the lead rain
The noise is tremendous, terror I can’t define
The only reason I survived that day was divine
I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more
You do what you have to do, with that I will say no more
We fought from the valleys to the mountain peaks
From house to cave, to car to creek
Dirty and tired and hungry and scared
We slept with our boots on so we were always prepared
Those majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skies
The Hindu Kush has changed so many lives
Up the mountains with heavy loads we trod
Who knew hell was so close to God
Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink
So we drank it like drunkards and tried not to think
Good men and bad men, Mothers lost son’s
Everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns
Washed in the blood, and baptized by fire
I will never forget those who were called higher
They say blood is thicker than water, well lead is thicker than blood
Brothers aren’t born they’re earned. In the poppy fields, the tears, and the mud
And when I get to heaven to Saint Peter I will tell
Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell
Steve Carlsen
Task 1:
Background information
Steve Carlsen was born and resides in Dowagiac, Michigan. He joined the US Army in October 2000, went through Infantry Basic Training and Airborne School. He was deployed to Kosovo in November 2001 for peacekeeping operations, and following that, to Afghanistan in December 2002 to take part in the war.He was honourably discharged from the army in 2003, and currently attends Southwestern Michigan College, where his professor, Dr. Michael Collins, challenged him to write about his experiences. Therefore, the poem is written from Steve's firsthand experiences, most likely in a negative light.
LZ: Landing Zone
Hindu Kush: 500-mile long mountain range located in Afghanistan to Pakistan
http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/2010warpoetry.html
Task 2:
The poem is written from a first-person point of view, as opposed to poems in second-person point of view, which often describe the scene in general instead of from the perspective of a single individual. This suggests that the writer has memories and has experienced the war firsthand, which is further confirmed and supported by his background information- his history as a soldier in the war.
The poem is written in past tense, thus implying it is a recollection by the writer, set in Afghanistan, supported by the mention of the Hindu Kush as well as the writer's background information (having fought the war in Afghanistan). The poem narrates the writer's feelings and experiences as he fights battle after battle day after day, revelling in the thrill of the fight but also overshadowed by the fear ("beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink"). The poet does not mention much of the enemy they were fighting on the physical plane, but instead reveals the true enemy to originate from the emotional and psychological aspect of their thoughts. Therefore in this case the theme is Man vs Oneself, where the writer struggles with glorifying the war ("washed in the blood, baptised by fire") and rejecting it out of guilt and fear ("everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns"). "Lead is thicker than blood, brothers aren't born, they're earned"- this shows that the writer's perception of the war has been slightly warped; he glorifies the brotherhood formed with his comrades through battle and bloodshed. The writer makes his stand unclear until the last 11 lines in which he reflects and lastly concludes that war= hell ("Another paratrooper reporting for duty, sir I spent my time in hell").
The poem follows an AA BB rhyming pattern where the last word of the first line rhymes with the last word of the next line. The writer narrates the scene in a oxymoronic and contradictory manner (e.g. "Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink" and "who knew hell was so close to God"). The writer also manages to bring out the desperation, the rush, and the turmoil of war through the fast pace of the poem in which the writer and his comrades continuously rush from place to place, fighting chaotic battles ("We fought from the valleys to the mountain peaks, from house to cave, to house to creek"). Adjectives such as "tremendous" and "dirty, tired, hungry, and scared" are used to describe the battle and its effects and outcomes.
I feel that this poem does manage to bring out the essence of war through the writer's thoughts and experiences. The rhyming pattern gives the poem a slightly "catchy", fast-paced rhythm which aids in the description of war and the battle in general. The writer also manages to bring out his inner turmoil, (thrill vs fear) and finally rejects war in the concluding lines of the poem. Ultimately, the theme is Man vs Oneself.
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