Sailing to Da Nang

 

Under dead dual of East and West camps ，

US combat forces into deep marshes of the Vietnam War，

Domestic anti-war surging，

Endless and irreversible，in 1970．

 

My Amphibious transport warship sailed to Da Nang，

To carry out naval logistic service …only，

Lonely boat marched and swayed in the South China Sea，

I watched sunrises and sunsets，sea waves and sky clouds，

Sharks and dolphins trailing by ．

 

No cross the barbed wire fence of anchored pier，

During the berth，Sporadic gunshots heard ，

Refugees climbed on top of crowed tiny trucks ，

Family baggage piled up on．

                                  

Girls rode bicycles through the path outside，

In traditional white robes Au Da，         

Long shirt split ，loose trouser，light and soft，drifting in the wind，

And a naked Barbie painted on one side of a military vehicle inside，

Half-lying and wide open her legs ，seductively says:

 "Who is Next?"

 

I was a witness not for：

Bloody and brutal battle ，

Terrible street butchery，

 Heavy bombing and jungle raid，

Combat helicopter group attack，

Only a matter of responsible testimony in this historic war．

 

Rampancy of more than ten years，

Millions dead and injured，

Billions spent，

Yet，after Communist Vietnam rule for two decades，

Both sides shock hands again，

Lay down hostility and seek to new era．

 

Sigh！paradox of history not revealed by catastrophe only，

Wind of tides changes the course indeed；

If history is the dialogue between present and past，

The memory of new and old；

It can be forgiven，cannot be forgotten．

 

If history is a nightmare，

Who can wake up？

Then， "Justice of history” not be a big surprise ，

As the ruling parties transform‧