“All Too Many Multiple Tours”
All Too Many Multiple Tours
Pentagon announces 154 suicides so
far in 2012, a number that “eclipses,”
the Times writes, the
the number of deaths
in combat. I think leadenly
of “eclipse,” black shadow blotting
sun, and then of suicide, suicide as a
combat death–combat with self and all
else too. (Self
losing.)
Making a choice of sorts: but “it’s them
or us” doesn’t seem
to describe it, nor “kill or
be killed.” Not even, “to be
or not to be.”
If you use something again and
again–take a horse–if you run it and run it and run
it, digging heels into flagging sides, knees into strained-
cord neck–and if it’s a well-trained horse–its eyes
will wilden, froth foam in laval persistence, hide soak, until
heart bursts, what’s broken
folds to ground, and you, who were so profligate with
your steed, we, who were so profligate, will be lucky to escape
with our own whole rider’s legs, our wastrel feet–
But still will not be able to blot out
ebon barrel to close-cropped head, pink
scabbard mouth, delineated
chest–the tunneled metal eclipsing
son/daughter, self, all
else.
Get them home.
****************************
The above is a poem (still really a draft) posted for the dVerse Poets Pub Poetics prompt, “choice,” hosted by the wonderful Brian Miller. I’m not sure why this topic came to mind. Pretty sorrowful news.
Explore posts in the same categories: news, poetry, UncategorizedTags: "all too many multiple tours", get troops home poem, manicddaily, poem about ongoing war, poem about soldiers in Afghan war, poem about suicides of soldiers
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ManicDDaily 
June 9, 2012 at 2:52 pm
oh dang…real tears came in the imagery of your last stanza…But still will not be able to blot out
ebon barrel to close-cropped head…the horse analogy as well…perfect…if not harrowing in its truth…a hard one k…stellar write, but a hard one…
June 9, 2012 at 2:54 pm
It makes me so so sad too. So sad for all the families and these poor guys (and girls) feeling so alone and beset, trying so hard. k.
June 9, 2012 at 2:53 pm
dang..you chose a tough topic k. – and the horse image works really well… hopefully they will soon find a peaceful solution..wondering how the people in charge feel about the suicides of the soldiers..must be hard for them as well..
June 9, 2012 at 2:56 pm
It must be terrible for those in charge. Apparently, there’s one suicide a day this year (in terms of averages.) k.
June 9, 2012 at 3:08 pm
That’s a tough subject. One suicide a year is one too many, an average of one a day is just unbelievable.
Very emotional write for it’s truth. I imagine it’s something the families and friends would find so hard to come to terms with too.
June 9, 2012 at 3:26 pm
Challenging topic to write…the images of the third stanza is powerful ~ Suicide among soldiers is a choice, or the after effects of war ~
June 9, 2012 at 5:04 pm
I didn’t really mean to say it’s exactly a choice – I think most people actually hurting themselves probably feel that there’s no choice; that they are out of options. But somehow I did think of this with the prompt so there’s definitely a relationship. Thanks. k.
June 9, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Whew, this was angry, sensitive and I think so right. You wrote this with passion. Yeah.
June 9, 2012 at 4:08 pm
Wow… amazing piece. It slammed me in the gut like a bullet.
June 9, 2012 at 4:55 pm
Oh … so emotive, I got lost somewhere in these words … powerful writing.
June 9, 2012 at 5:01 pm
I just loved it. It actually turned me upside down as I’ve been reading Sylvia Plath’s work lately… and I am watching a horse race, which helped me literally sink into your poem. Besides I increased my English vocab! Thanks.
June 9, 2012 at 5:02 pm
You are welcome! k.
June 9, 2012 at 5:04 pm
Suicides of soldiers is such a tough subject. My SIL is in the army. It is a hard life. He has had a number of ‘tours,’ two in Iraq. I agree with you, get them HOME.
June 9, 2012 at 5:08 pm
Such a hard life. Best of luck to him. Hope that he’s not deployed again. Take care, thanks. k.
June 9, 2012 at 5:12 pm
Amen, k. Lots of stark choices here–for us and for them. I’ve hated these wars for so long now I have run out of things to say about them. Thanks for finding so much fresh to bring–the horse metaphor is chilling, more so because we the riders are being driven by our own masters(of messaging, of fear, of apathy, of helplessness.)
June 9, 2012 at 5:14 pm
Thanks. Such a sad frustrating and really horrific situation. k.
June 9, 2012 at 5:43 pm
Oh, ‘I think leadenly’ sums up so much so succinctly – and no mention of bravery or cowardice – I like this poem very much
June 9, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Thanks so much, Polly. k.
June 9, 2012 at 5:45 pm
I just love your elephant!
June 9, 2012 at 5:49 pm
Thanks so much – I do all of my own art pretty much. That one is from a counting book that i wrote and illustrated for children – watercolors = called 1 Mississippi. All elephants! k.
June 9, 2012 at 5:52 pm
Yes, “All Too Many Multiple Tours”. The horse metaphor really hits the point. Thank you for this winning challenge to Brian’s choice prompt…
June 9, 2012 at 5:55 pm
Ha–well hard to think of winning anything much with poetry(!) but I appreciate your visit and kind comment. Take care, k.
June 9, 2012 at 10:14 pm
Wow–powerful, powerful. The description of the horse, the linking together of the three situations, beautifully written and forcefully, yet tragically told.
June 9, 2012 at 10:54 pm
Thank you. k.
June 10, 2012 at 12:05 am
suicide as a combat death captured me! I also completely enjoyed your ride with the horse in attempt to “blot out”
beautiful. ~jane
June 10, 2012 at 6:06 am
Thanks, Jane.
June 10, 2012 at 3:56 am
suicide as a
combat death–combat with self and all
else too. (Self
losing.)
For me the whole poem turned on this section. I think I can safely say that you have yourself a masterpiece here. The ultimate accolade: I wish I had written it.
June 10, 2012 at 6:04 am
David, you are always very kind. Thank you. k.
June 10, 2012 at 4:39 am
Wow- this smacked me in the face. I have to say- this is totally my bag- confrontational, unafraid, blunt poetry….I felt it. And what a message- a choice – between fear and love, life and death, war and peace- Amen….’get them home’….so powerful
June 10, 2012 at 6:04 am
Thanks so much Stu, and for the Tweet! Well, I can say the same of yours -the confrontation at the end with the slaps and denial and the dialogue so vivid and real. k.
June 10, 2012 at 8:40 am
There’s one mans choice somewhere up along the line which has robbed so many of theirs. A grim and sobering piece which has stopped me in my tracks, … Am going for a recharging coffee before I head back into the dVerse fray…. This has been the best piece of seen for a good while. Not a word wasted.
June 10, 2012 at 8:49 am
Thanks so much, Brian. The statistics are very sobering. K.
June 10, 2012 at 9:20 am
These deaths are the most heart-rending carnage of war. For all we as a society can do to “welcome” back the warriors, that battle goes on in sundered hearts and souls, and the welcome seems so superficial to what has gone on there. In the past, the military used not even to recognize these casualties of war, ergo so many veterans homeless, lost and unable to fit back into the social mould. Camus says that the question of suicide is the only true philosophical question in the present age. The reason for that is because it questions an entire region of why one might choose to continue to exist. Do we choose to banish all tough choices and responsibilities in this world or somehow choose to accept them and continue on, fully conscious of ourselves and more aware of how we must choose to live authentically. This is not an easy question to answer, i think. Your poem makes that choice clear-eyed and aware.
June 10, 2012 at 9:53 am
Hi Charles, thanks as always for your thoughtful comment. The deaths are heart-rending, and the welcomes, although well-intentioned, fall very far short, I think–in part because military families are fairly isolated in the culture, due, in part, I think to the “professionalizing” of the entire enterprise. A draft forced a greater overall involvement and certainly had an ability to focus people’s attention on the use of force in a way that is less likely to happen if all that suffering can be assigned to one relatively small group. But not really wanting to go so political! Philosophy is something I have so little understanding of as a subject – it has always felt so difficult to just think clearly! (My problem.) Wonderful thing about poetry is that one can be a bit more instinctive. Again, that’s off-point. Thanks for your cogency. k.
June 10, 2012 at 3:06 pm
the part with the horse really got to me. that’s how the ending of “True Grit” is, were you thinking of that?
Princess Vadar
June 10, 2012 at 9:40 pm
I don’t know – a lot of things – even I’ll Have Another dropping out of current Belmont race for Triple Crown. k.
June 10, 2012 at 5:17 pm
Good golly, this is AMAZING:
“If you use something again and
again–take a horse–if you run it and run it and run
it, digging heels into flagging sides, knees into strained-
cord neck–and if it’s a well-trained horse–its eyes
will wilden, froth foam in laval persistence, hide soak, until
heart bursts, what’s broken
folds to ground, and you, who were so profligate with
your steed, we, who were so profligate, will be lucky to escape
with our own whole rider’s legs, our wastrel feet”
Seriously love that section.
Those statistics are crazy and terrifying.
June 10, 2012 at 9:40 pm
Thank you, Shawna. k.
June 10, 2012 at 10:39 pm
That’s damn powerful! Your comparison to running a horse to death with our soldiers and their multiple trips into combat was brilliant. If they don’t commit suicide, they live with PTSD and feelings of wanting to.. God this really riles me up…
June 11, 2012 at 12:02 am
YES!