Vietnam-The A Shau Valley, The Valley Of Death Poem by Philip Lore

Welcome to the jungle,
You've arrived, .watch out for its wrath,
It lives on our dead, broken bodies,
Reeks of blood and death.

This valley is quite beautiful,
It hides under cloudless skies,
Takes its toll of fighting men,
Doesn't choose who lives..who dies!

No villages on its landscape,
Fighting, while explosions sound.
Rifle shots, mortar rounds,
Soldiers dying,
Soldiers killing,
Some bodies never found.

The stench of death is the valleys' perfume,
Our blood feeds the growing palms,
This is where we fought and died,
A place of courage,
Where we fought with pride.

There is where,
We left a little sign
A place to fear... no where to hide,
Deep, dark thoughts,
Attack our mind.
Written it holds the valleys' psalm,
Welcome to the A-Shau Valley,
Republic of Viet-Nam.