'Nam

by David L. Allen

I feared not the enemy,
But the darkness
That hid him from my brother.
I feared to shoot,
Not knowing which
Would feel the sting,
The one or the other.
I feared not to die,
But to live in the darkness.
I feared most
The blindness that might remain
After the darkness left.
The blindness that might not see,
All are brothers -- there are no "others".

DLA, '72
© Copyright 1997 David L. Allen. All rights reserved.