" A Paratroopers Night"

To anyone who has ever served in an Airborne unit.

It’s dark when we rise from our warm, soft racks

One by one we march along an endless track

Onto a crowded cattle trailer we walk

Each man in turn and no man balks

 

We ride for an hour until the road comes to an end

Then we get out and begin to walk again

Until we can hear the sounds of the engines roar

And we listen to their awful moan

 

At last, our destination has been reached

We rest in place while we listen to a familiar speech

The Colonel, the Captain and the Major all chime in

Giving their spiel to us tired and dreary men

 

At long last the talking has ceased

And the Jumpmasters distribute that final piece

That big and glorious silken rag

That great sail neatly packed in a green, course bag

 

With morning approaching fine rain pours

We shoulder the heavy packs

And pull the leg straps tight

Then we sit and wait some more

 

We watch as the big doors of the craft begin to open

Like a giant bird, its mouth opens to receive us

And with a final inspection, we gleefully are consumed

Digested as the outer door closes and the moon light fades to black

 

We feel the ground beneath us disappear

The bird takes flight and calmness moves

The gentle movements of the plane in the air

Rocks us to sleep like babes in the womb

 

Then in a rush, our eyes open wide

 To the voice of the Jumpmaster’s song

“Twenty Minutes”

And in one loud voice, we mimic his call

 

With senses alert, every man’s mind

Turns to the loved ones he left behind

Our heads all bowed in quite reflect

We pray for St. Michael to protect

 

“Ten Minutes”

The Prayer is finished when the Jumpmaster yells

The drop zone is approaching

Our journey is almost an end

 

On command, we all stand and wait

For the signal to "Hook Up" and now it’s too late

The door opens and we feel that icy blast

The jump is a go and our ride will end at last

 

All OKAY, we all have checked

"Thirty Seconds"

We all can hear

The time to stand in the door is near

 

With hearts beating loud we begin to move

Toward that awful black hole and into the blue

Each man exiting only one second apart

Sixty-four Troopers as one we depart.

Reviews

[Kathy Van Kurin]

2016 James,
The rhythm of this piece is a feeling relayed. Unity within duty and all together for the common purpose. Even the rhyming lent itself to the finality of what was coming or maybe it was the reality of your subject.
"Each man turns and no man balks." and "hear the sounds of the engines roar." and "Colonel, captain and major...giving their spiel to us tired and weary men."
Situation is processing from the warmth of early morning awakening and even dreams to the reality of a military man's life. Digested as the outer door closes and the moonlight turns to black." and "Hearts beating loud we begin to move.".."Sixty four troopers, as one we dapart." wonderful writing and a reality check for the lives of those who serve and our safety which is such a gift.
Bless you. Kathy

[James]

Thank you, I was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne a long time ago. This was one of the first things I wrote. I've never quite been able to capture the feeling entirely. I'm glad you enjoyed this.

[barleygirl]

Very realistic & straightforward, with anticipation & dread mixed into a vague background, while following orders is pushed to the foreground. The initial stages of marching (not too exciting) is a little bit drawn out, whereas the ending jump (very exciting!) isn't embellished enuf for my liking. I'd love to FEEL the sensations of the actual jump to a greater degree . . . but all in all, this shows a slice of life that many never experience, so you've brought it to life. I wonder if this type of combat is obsolete in our current world of terrorism? Just thinking . . .

[James]

Well, being an old paratrooper I'm a little biased on the subject. I'm the ultimate has-been when it comes to this. I appreciate your very honest critique and I agree it is a bit slow. Maybe one day I will try to capture the thrill of the jump.

[tlhisler]

That gave me goosebumps. I had a friend who was a paratrooper he lives in a different state now and it was like he was bragging about it all over again. I read it like tree times.

[James]

Thanks for reading. I was a paratrooper a long time ago and we all still brag about it. We can't get it out of our blood. I'm glad you liked it. Tell your friend "All the Way" when you see him, He'll know what you mean.

[tlhisler]

No problem will do

[Norman 223]

I guessed that you must have had experience of "jumping" from your convincingly descriptive poem. I had the initial training, but I have to confess that I "chickened out" and became a Physical Training Instructor instead.

[James]

I was a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division, a long time ago.

[...]

I can only imagine what it's like to jump and sail into the sky. My heart beats fast thinking about it. A rush for sure. Do you love it? I think I would :) This implies that you are in the service...thank you for all that you do

[James]

Thanks for reading and commenting Lynn. I hope you enjoyed the read. I was a Paratrooper, years ago, but I didn't really do anything special. I just thought I would give writing about it a shot.

Thanks again,