An ungodly fiery ball races toward us,
screeching, whooshing, tearing metal
and riping through the communiction trailer
sounding like a meteor slamming to earth.
An RPG attack in the mist of a mortor attack is sobering.
When the mortors stop
the NVA sappers are though the wire and within the perimeter.
Green tracers
seemingly moving faster than sound as hearts pound,
we all hug the ground.
Our ears hear the air splitting
as we take up shooting position,
standing, pursuing or belly down on the ground.
Red and green lights...
light up the night
as the ground still trembles
like an epileptic having a seizure.
We don't need Puff the Magic Dragon
because if need be, "the Sharks" are prepared
to spit out line after line of bloody teeth
as they circle our position
and the smell of sulfur is in the air.
And the alarm goes off.
It's the clock,
dreaming again,
time to get up
and begin day 25 of the Fast of Ramadan 1434
(3 August 2013).