A Gist of That Then
Richard ‘Eric’ Johnson
the newspapers photographs diaries
weren’t on acid free paper back then
when folk lyrics “where have all the flowers
gone” and “white boots marching
in a yellow land” were very popular
although the boots were black
conical hats topped the Ao ba ba silk
pajamas topped the sandals or bare feet
movements hot humid rain dust
landscape rice paddies water buffalo
venomous snakes tigers and mosquitoes
night into day after day into night
aromas of cultural cuisines
unimaginable to other cultures
violence came and went
as did peace
as did we in our boots
as all that paper yellows
photos fade
memories reluctantly give way
veterans and survivors
seek old or new words
to speak and write
trying to share
at least
a gist
of that then
About Things Unintentional
Richard ‘Eric’ Johnson
sun not quite risen
I drive to the chartered boat
envisioning deep angling joy
between the swells
drifting beneath wisps of clouds
between gentle white capped waves
fantasizing fighting fish
tasting delectable filets
waiting for certain pleasure
my thoughts drift to Viet Nam
a place and time
something specific
after hours of catching
conversing and inhaling
salty fresh sea air
we motor back to dock
relaxed and cleansed
I turn out the lights
slip beneath my blankets
recollecting blessings
sleep comes slowly
as I drift again
to Viet Nam
Richard ‘Eric’ Johnson is a graduate of Indiana University and holds a B.A. in Germanic Languages and an M.S. in Education. Eric has five previously published volumes of poetry: Of Museums, Monsoons and Mausoleums (1998), Schemes of Consciousness (2003), Memoir Poetic of a Naked Cop (2013), Watching Angels Dance by Candlelight (2019), and Free Air Berlin: Of a Wall and Walnut Tree (2022). His poetry has appeared in numerous online and print journals. Most recently, Eric has been honored to have his literary works archived at La Salle University Connelly Library Special Collections: Viet Nam War Veterans Poets Foundation. Eric served in Viet Nam and West Berlin with the U.S. Army before beginning a career in law enforcement as a road patrol officer with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department in Indianapolis. After retiring, Eric traveled overseas with his wife who was likewise stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army. They now happily reside in Arlington, Virginia.
ISSUED 