This poem was written in a Veterans Creative Arts Program class for veterans.
I remember my days at sea.
I remember the sunrises and sunsets.
I remember the dolphins, flying fish, and occasional sea snakes
I remember the storms with 120-mile-an-hour winds and 40-50 foot swell waves.
I remember the movies, the poker games,
I especially remember the many hours of listening to some of the best music ever recorded.
I remember the long, tedious hours of standing watches.
I remember the blindness of night lights.
I remember the cascade of bombs, helicopters, and flares seen in the distance.
I remember the endless hours of chipping and painting.
I remember being on the helm during unreps, how tense and nerve-wrecking the hours would be, followed by the exhilaration of having done the job.
I remember the ship board infestation of assholes, the memories of whom I now cherish.
