Johnny Everyman Poem by Gert Strydom

Johnny surfed on the waves,
till on the day,
that he got his call up papers.

Johnny new the sea and the waves
very well
and girls filled the beaches
and live was good and free.

Things were really great
until five gigantic Mp’s,
waited at his front door.

Their hair was trimmed very short
and they got hold of him,
and pulled him to and fro.

Johnny left home
in a military capture wagon
and had to choose,
between going to the army and jail.

In the army his hair was stripped
and like a prisoner
he was chased up and down
and drilled all over the place
and told that he was worth nothing.

Time after time
they tried to brake him
and took him on private busses
and at times his buddies
also went for the ride.

To run with ammunition chests
and buddy pt
and pencil and rubber
and other similar exercises
was learnt to him.

He was shouted and cursed at
and he learned to kill
in several ways
and to handle different weapons
and to live from the field.

Johnny went to Angola
and came back shell-shocked
and there were blood on his hands
and nobody wanted to know
and cared and could understand him.


[References: =Mp’s= Military policemen. private busses = Personal punishment and punitive exercises. Buddy pt = Exercises while running with a soldier in your arms. Pencil and rubber =Exercises with poles and lorry tires]