Rumors

     We didn't know shit when it came to reality back in The World. The Army saved us from all the worry about protests, free love and the music that went with it. Mostly all we had was rain and its buddy mud, leeches, drippy dick from R and R in Bangkok, how many days left in country and your buddy with a peep hole, like a single eye-piece View Master though which you could see to the moonin' end of time, blown through his head by some guy who'd rather be home in bed with his wife . Yup, life was simple in the Delta.
     Then, out of the blue where tomorrows you dream about but never happen live, 'bout the end of June, word filtered down that the Ninth Division might be gettin' pulled out. Pulled out, now those were fine sounding words. Way better than rammed in deep and broke off that us grunts were used to hearing.
      For a while that's all we knew. And even that much wasn't certain. Hard to believe that stuff could really happen would be more on the money. Fit nicely into Too Good to be True land. You know that place. It's the land that only exists between your ears. Never, ever sees the light of day. Then again, nearly every man jack of us had been living between our ears since the day we got ready for it when we spread our cheeks at the induction physical. Didn't know it at the time but some of us would end up in Between the Ears Land for the rest our lives. That means me too. Someday I oughta draw me a map of that place. Or get me some kind of psyche-GPS to find my way out.

     Funny moment happened the other day. The same in-law guy who got me started again, David by name, has known me for close to twenty years. Fifteen anyhow. He blew me away when he said he didn't know I'd been in Vietnam. Shit, I thought everyone and his dog knew that. First thing when I got home yesterday I took a peek in the mirror. I sure looked like I'd been in Vietnam. That crazed twinkle in my eyes, the what the hell was that all about? tick. Maybe I need a tattoo on my forehead? Or a Harley with a dozen American flags on the back and a MIA/POW one in the middle. Lead the parade and have me a butt length pony tail.
     Some things you live with every day. Get deep lost in thought and forget nobody can read your mind. You think you're talkin' out loud about it all the time. But you ain't.
     I know my little piece of the asshole of life wasn't much. Barely anything at all really. But it was enough for a fatherless child like me. Bent my twig way over in a direction I never figured to venture. Guess I owe a prayer of thanks the twig didn't snap like it did for so many others.