Poetry+1

=Abby Keehn, Austin Strynkowski, and Kristin Piccinich=

=Patrick P Stafford= Austin Strynkowski

Stafford worked as a journalist, s criptwriter, copywriter, editor and poet. during The Vietnam war he composed a numerous amount of poetry, containing his thoughts and feelings towards the war. Poems like "My Son" and "Saigon" are just a few of the many poems he has written concerning the American's well being. He is currently marketing a movie films and he just recently had two books of poems published, and two one-act stage plays previously accepted by a major play publisher in Great Britain. His influences include Robert Frost, George Byron, Poe, Tennyson, Laurence Hope and Sara Teasdale. His award winning poetry include, “Tomorrow” and “Haunting Ways. Patrick is currently trying to get a new book published called “Asian Darkness”, which contains over 100 poems from the Vietnam War. Patrick P. Stafford has put a lot of thought and effort into his poetry, it has not yet paid off but he is on the right track. Poems helped the American public realize what the soldiers were going through in Vietnam. It took the attention off of the recession that was starting, and put the focus on how much the country should appreciate the armed forces. This poem elaborates on how life was like for the soldiers at Da Nang. After reading the last two lines, the reader may have the impression that Da Nang was a nice place to visit, if you visited before '75. this shows the the Vietnam war was nothing to joke aorund about. Stafford wanted to convey the message that this was a deadly war, and people needed to be aware of what was actually going on over seas.

=**Da Nang** =

Da Nang was a nice place by a bay Some mean people came to visit and ravage. It was such a nice place to get away From modern primitive and noble savage. Da Nang is still a nice place to visit If you were never there before ‘75. Those who were, might ask is it? Or were you one who got out alive?

By: Patrick P. Stafford

[|Patrick P. Stafford Bio]

=Curtis Bennett= Abby Keehn

//[|picture 1] Curt Bennet was a jet pilot during the Vietnam war. Throughout his time in Vietnam he wrote and then used those writings to make his poetry books, __Harvest Moon__, __Pale Moon Rising__, __Jaundiced Moon__ and __God Don’t Fly Airplanes__ ("Curt Bennett’s Storefront" 1). After he returned home, he married Judith Loven-Bennett and she recently died in 2008 (Henning 1). He was heart broken and continued to express his feelings through his writing in __Passages__ and __Picking Up the Pieces__ ("Curt Bennett’s Storefront" 1). Some other books he wrote are __The Passage__ and __911__ ("Curt Bennett’s Storefront" 1).// [|Curt Bennett's Storefront] [|Henning]

One specific poem is //Jet Pilot//. It discusses his emotions and the atmosphere around him when Curt was flying. He goes deep inside his train of thoughts and explains what it feels like to shoot someone and to be the target as well. Many people buy his books and it gives them a new outlook on what it actually is like to be a pilot during the Vietnam war. During the 60's and 70's the country started to go into a recession and people were upset with how the government was spending money (Cornish 1). People were blaming it on the money that was spent on the Vietnam war but these poems give the the angered people an insight about what the soldiers had to go through. Many veterans were put on the streets when they came home and were not respected the ways they should have been (Cornish 1). Due to all the poets, not just Curtis Bennett, many Americans changed their views on the soldiers who fought for them during the Vietnam war. [|Cornish]

[|picture2]

Jet Pilot
The star-splatter dun Filters hot Like warm honey, bathing the frigid cockpit In liquid warmth.

A darkened visor Reflects sun and sky, Hiding warrior eyes, That pierce horizons, , Restlessly scanning Darting, probing Both earth and sky.

A gray-green worn nomex glove Gently caresses The button studded stick, Tat effortlessly, easily, Guides the heavy craft Through the thin rushing air.

From the peaceful earth below, A silent burst of lightning lead Arches upward, floating, bending, White flashing, brown bursting, Smoke hanging…drifting, The vaporizing in the blue.

Automatic reflexes kick rudder, Rolling the iron bird On its back as the stick, Firmly pulls the nose through, Then rolls around and gathers speed, Closing with the swelling earth.

Adrenalin driven blood, Pounds the body, Coursing swiftly With a glowing, tingling feeling That rushes and swirls To engulf the total being.

The gun sight tracks steadily, Through the growing landscape, Mechanical corrections are computed, Adjusted, sensed, held, felt, then squeezed off. A slight bump and lurch is felt, As the bombs jump free of their racks, Then greedily nose down and arch Gracefully towards their destiny.

Both hands now pull the heavy stick back, The "G" suit swells on your legs and gut, In swift, surprise hard pressure. The "G" forces close vision to a small circle, Gradually closing your consciousness Until it becomes a tight narrow circle Focused on nothing! The heavy, reluctant nose Grunts and strains upward Through the land and back to the sky, The stick pressure slowly eases, The "g" suit decompresses The blackness fades to gray Then to a brilliant blue As the hammering blood Releases to flow again.

Nothing in the world Can ever compare To the desperate, hollow feeling, Of seeing death's hungry eyes Staring through to very soul! And then to escape unscathed, To dance alone in the high, morning sun. To flip off death….and the whole fucking world!

("Jet Pilot" 1) [|Jet Pilot]

=Sarge Lintecum= Kristin Piccinich

http://vietnamblues.com/Bio.html

Sarge Lintecum is a poet, song writer, musician, teacher and benefit organizer. He completed three tours during The Vietnam War. Sarge was part of the 101st Airborne Paratroopers. In 1994, Sarge competed in a Slam Haiku contest and was named the Slam Haiku Champion of the United States. Due to fighting in Vietnam, Sarge experienced many different illnesses due to Vietnam; Some of the illnesses that he suffered from were malaria, jungle-rot, parasites, and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ("Sarge's Biography").

One poem of the many poems that Sarge Lintecum has written is Time Bomb in My Mind. Throughout the poem Sarge describes his feelings while he is at Vietnam. The poem is expresses the terrible things that he had to experience throughout The Vietnam War. The poem opens the readers' eyes to what the envolvement in the War was really like for the people that had to participate.

**Time Bomb in My Mind**
People think we're crazy, 'Cause we made it back alive. Well that really wasn't my fault, The whole damn time I thought I'd die.

We'd be walkin' through the jungle Always lookin' side to side. We'd be lookin' hard for Charlie, Prayin' like hell he'd run and hide.

Charlie had a secret weapon. It's a time bomb in my mind. I don't know how they could do it, They drafted children down to nine. ..

So people think we're crazy, Just 'cause we made it back alive. You know that wasn't my fault, The whole damn time, I thought I'd die.

Spare some change?

http://vietnamblues.com/TimeBomb.html

=Works Cited=

Cornish, David. “Economic Recession in 70’s.” Ezine articles. N.p., 28 Oct. 2008. Web. 30 Sept. 2009. .

“Curt Bennett’s Storefront.” //LuLu //. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Sept. 2009. .

Henning, Sarah. “Poet’s passage: Lawrence widower self-publishes book as part healing process.” //LJ

World //. N.p., 23 May 2009. Web. 30 Sept. 2009. . “Jet Pilot.”  //Vietnam War Poetry //. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept. 2009.

. 

"Sarge's Biography." //Sarge's Jungle//. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Oct. 2009.

.