Poems-The Rain, There are

Credit-www.uticaromespeedway.com

The Rain

He cussed the rain October

and the many months before.

He lived and he slept in it

and didn’t want no more.

It made him cold and angry

as he went through the war.

So he turned it off.

It swelled the creeks and rivers

and flooded where he lay.

And swam in beans and weanies

or whatever food that day.

And soaked the leaves of jungle

that were always in his way.

So he turned it off. 

But in the heat November

as his skin turned leather tight

he wished the rain October

as he went to sleep at night.

But he had turned the rain off

and nothing would be right.

And it would be years

before it rained again. 

(C) John Steinmeyer

There Are

There are those who

do not

and will not

                  Speak.

There are those who

do not

and will not

                     Heal.

There are those who

do not

and will not

                            Live.

There are those who

do

                                Naught.

(C) John Steimeyer

More of John’s Poems

1. Other Side
2. Sniffer
3. The Fish
4. L.C, and L.C. 2 –Two gone, waiting for number three
5. Sour (1) Sealed (2)
6.  In The Grinder (1) The Teller (2) 
7.  The Rifle (1) Turn (2)
8. The Picture (1), Nothing (2)
9. Not Me
10. More to come
11. Our other posts on PTSD (Missing Video will return soon)

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. Two poems from a collection that John wrote of his many experiences during his time in Vietnam. The collection is titled – The Rain. See other links above for more. Thuy Smith (TSOI) was given permission to share his poems on all of TSOI’s media platforms, etc.