DON’T GO

Life is a gamble or so it is oft said

Each day is a crazy roll of the dice

To find if we live or will we be dead

Bond was wrong, you don’t live twice.

Been around the world a time or two

Seen things you wouldn’t believe at all

Done so many things that I shouldn’t do

Somehow I barely avoided taking the fall.

Still I look back at my history, my past

To a place where we all fought for life

It had a name that we all learned real fast

It cuts through me today like a rusty knife.

Just a kid with no sense of fear at first

I was going to be a hero I had decided

I wanted to win those medals like a thirst

And I didn’t care who it was wound up dead.

I thought I could win the whole damn fight

I was sure I was the baddest there’d ever been

Until I sat pissing in a hole for just one night

I learned that Charlie was who was gonna win.

The jungle was made of brush and tall trees

Those little warriors were born to live there

Fear came from rolling on an unknown breeze

Hiding, I found was safe absolutely nowhere.

Somebody would hear something in the dark

And we would light up the night in a firefight

We seldom found out just what was the spark

That burned up our ammo to light up the night.

Did the VC laugh at us and tell “Dumb GI” jokes

While eating their rice and watching us shake

Did they celebrate with Saigon bought smokes

Of Lucky Strikes and other brands we make?

I learned my lesson and told them all back here

Don’t leave our shores to go and fight overseas

We won’t ever win if we have to go over there

So don’t do it even if politicians say, “Please”…

© Spider ‘09