Poems: In the Grinder, The Teller

In the Grinder

Camouflage and pockets.

Eyeballs in the sockets.

Gunfire and the rockets

in the grinder.

_________________

Silence and scope.

Liquor and the dope.

Whatever is the hope

in the grinder.

_________________

Medals in a war.

Boys that are no more.

Tally board for score

in the grinder.

_________________

Sodas for a kill.

Compensate the bill.

Forget about a will

in the grinder.

_________________

Life until the wire.

Dead men under fire.

Sex but no desire

in the grinder.

__________________

Pack it all away.

Nothing there to say.

Forget about each day

in the grinder.

(C) John Steinmeyer

---

The Teller

I am told by the teller

that my good friend is dead.

The teller keeps on talking.

I hear no more what’s said.

_____________

Shock wave numbs my heart and soul

while teller’s standing there.

Bitterness now dams my tears.

Pretense now hides my care.

______________

For the moment I now breathe.

But do not find my breath.

I picture face of my friend

but cannot picture death.

_______________

Good God, I wrote a letter

two weeks before this date

to the parents of my friend!

Now everything’s too late.

________________

So I grab my gear and rifle

and keep it all inside.

I have no time to accept

that my good friend has died.

W.S   K.I.A.

(C) John Steinmeyer

1. Other Side
2. Sniffer
3. The Fish
4. L.C, and L.C. 2 –Two gone, waiting for number three
5. Poems- Sour (1) Sealed (2)
6. More to come

John Steinmeyer served in Vietnam as an Infantry Sergeant with the 9th division in the Mekong Delta, then was transferred to the 25th Division and served the last half of his tour in a sniper team.

Thuy Smith’s father (Vietnam Veteran) and Vietnamese mother along with Thuy were friends of John and his family. This will be the first post of a collection of poems that John wrote of his many experiences during his time in Vietnam. The collection is titled – The Rain. Thuy Smith (TSOI) was given permission to share his poems on all of TSOI’s media platforms, etc.