ABPA - Australian Bush Poets Association

SOMEONE ELSE’S WAR - BALUCHI VALLEY—2010
(c) Graham Fredriksen (1956 - 2010)

A plume of smoke, a cloud of dust, and then we hear the blast;
....the two-way crackles on our frequency:
An urgent call for “medic”; the word comes through at last——
.... someone has tripped off an I.E.D.
Turbines, rotors thumping, as a Black Hawk looms above;
beyond the farther sandhills cracks a lone Kalashnikov.
A big Bushmaster shimmers on the roadway up ahead——
.... two Task Force Diggers lie beside it dead.

Kirby was a long-term mate; our service time began
.... with Singleton, then Timor and Iraq.
Sixth Battalion’s turn came round to do Afghanistan——
.... we both got posted, Kirby won’t be back.
Two daughters left to grieve the short-term father that they had;
two “little rays of sunshine” giving “reason” to their dad.
I lock my weapon, light a smoke and wipe away a tear——
.... and try to reason why we’re dying here.

There’s twenty good Australians shed their lifeblood fighting for
.... the driest piece of real estate on earth.
A “war on terror” sounded to me like a righteous war——
.... now vague objectives undermine its worth.
We’re fighting “ghosts” and politics; and fighting with one hand
tied hard behind our back’s like trying to hold back desert sand.
Condolences will do the rounds, they’ll mouth “Lest we forget”;
.... hollow words to those here dying yet.

Election day, Australia, and they’ve “hung” our parliament;
.... the people speak, yet both sides push “the cause”.
Photo opportunities, flags half mast and heads bent——
.... platitudes and “war to end all wars”.
The convoy’s pulling back along the road to Tarin Kowt;
my heels click to attention, but my mind is screaming out:
I love my land and Liberty, they’re both worth fighting for——
.... but this is, surely, someone else’s war.

An Asian orange sun sets on a fence of high barbwire——
.... Baluchi Valley’s one more Nui Dat.
The locals here don’t want us, and we’re bogging in a mire
.... of “body counts”——you can’t win wars like that.
I light a smoke and clean my gun; the politicians weave
and wend and lie to cut their deals; the flag-draped coffins leave.
We’ll read of “hold to strategy”; we’ve heard it all before——
.... read: History and someone else’s war.
---

I so enjoy reading this Manfred, It's a beaut, and hasn't all of Australia's 'wars' been someone else's.

Thanks for sharing this with us Manfred. We only hear about this war in the news when there are casualties.

Heather

G/day Manfred,
I'll support our blokes no matter what, but I agree entirely with the sentiments of your poem, I can't help but think what the hell are we doing over there. Forget the Pollie speak, I reckon that even one Aussie life is too high a price to pay in this stupid war.
Good on you for raising the issue. - Terry

Thanks for the kind words Folks. This piece is actually one of Graham Fredriksen's latter pieces, so yes Matt, my heart is heavy for the loss of a great writer. His family have given me permission to selectively post his works, so I will from time to time. I'm glad you enjoyed this piece.

Cheers,

Manfred.

Thanks Manfred. A very vivid rendition of the images of war.


Neville

What a great poem.

i'm stunned.

Makes you think.

This is the spirit of an Australian that makes us proud to live in this great country.

The late GF was a rational thinker.

John

Thanks Manfred . . I've just been reading Graham's poems from the last magazine . . he sure could write. Will look forward to seeing more.

Cheers, Marty

Reading Mal's piece I recall posting this one some time ago ... Shows that, the more things change, the more they stay the same - AND, Great minds think alike.

Good one Mal (in the ABPA Members Poetry Section - "Someone Else's War").

You know Manfred, I was worried about useing the title Someone Else's War because of Grahams great poem, but in the end I decided the poem carried it's own name so left it as it was. I hope no one objected. Which all sent me back to read The Only War We Had....we truly lost a great man.

Mal