The Mosquitoes

From: Dennis Serdel
To: GI Special
Sent: August 25, 2006
Subject: The Mosquitoes by Dennis

[Written by Dennis Serdel, Vietnam 1967-68 (one tour) Light Infantry, Americal Div. 11th Brigade, purple heart, Veterans For Peace, Vietnam Veterans Against The War, United Auto Workers GM Retiree, in Perry, Michigan]

The Mosquitoes

"Sometimes I think my religion just makes it easier to die,"

Pat commented to his buddy Al who popped another beer open.

They were deep into the Vietnam jungle and after looking around,
he took a sip. Al didn't carry C-rations, extra socks or any of that,
just ammo and beer.

Pat began again, "I mean, they're saying
if I lead a good life that when I die, I'll live forever. Christ,
how can I live a good life here, I mean, I already made
my mistakes Al, you know that."

Al brushed away in the half dark
what felt like a million mosquitoes flying around his face,
so thick that sometimes he would breathe in one through his nose
or mouth or it would fly in his eye.

The silence and pain diving in and out of his ears.
Pat reflected again, "I mean, I hear they tell Charlie that he will go
straight to Buddha heaven when he dies fighting for his country.

And that sounds right Al,
but what the fuck are we fighting for?

I mean, Charlie's trying to kill us, the Vietnamese hate us,
why are we here ?

Al just shook his head, it was unclear if he was commenting
or shaking off mosquitoes.

"I mean, if I'm going to live life everlasting,
what's this thing inside me that doesn't want to die. This fear, I mean, what am I afraid of ?"

Al just shook his head again.

Later when it was so dark that they could not see each other,
Pat heard the sound of a beer popping and the fizz
and he knew Al was still awake
and on guard.