By Wayne Fowler Can You See Just let me word the picture for you to decide Of the time mankind’s judgment came true and tried The soft quiet trickle of the stream across the rock As we approached the village at the strike of noonday clock The mass of humankind gathered together in a tight band And the chaotic chatter of the gun as destiny lay at hand Fire returned, villagers caught in the metal death wake Of death’s sickle, swathed for survival’s futile sake Men, women, children, yes even the babe cuddled to breast As the ribbon of steel swathed and forever laid to rest The inhuman screams and babies’ cry felt and cut so very deep That this mortal man this day forever lost the peaceful sleep Will I ever be able to rejoin this thing called the human race? Or will I be banned to a nether world darken with disgrace Senseless, so futile, yet our reaction to just go on and live Because of our combat training to always take, not to ever give The blood red stained rice grass against the foliage of the hill Ripped human flesh, crushed bone, death turned loose at will. POEM INDEX