Rice Paddy Stew and Saigon Tea by Kerry Pardue

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MWSA Review

Rice Paddy Stew and Saigon Tea is a combination of verse and prose. The verse is extraordinary—heartbreaking in places, thoughtful in others. In its entirety, the book explores the impact of war that follows young soldiers home after the fighting is over, whether they are dead or alive when they make that journey. For example, the first poem, “A Brand New Day,” is determined and hopeful, ending with these lines:

“Today is a guide to build upon future days
I choose to respect life
I choose to be more loving and kind
I choose to be loving in word and deed
I choose to begin with changing me
I choose to be thankful for events in my life even PTSD
I choose by loving me.”

Certain lines make the reader smile, like in a poem called “Chris Jackson,” where the poet ponders what a friend might be doing now: “As I think of you in Heaven I know you will make the Angels blush and/St. Peter will shake his head when he hears them complain and/ All he can say is that Chris Jackson acting up again?”

There are stories about old vets and young, some who made it home and some who didn’t. Coming from a medic who tried to rescue them all, each battlefield loss is painful and the reader can feel the author’s ongoing personal connection with the many ghosts of war.

One poem is especially vivid. “In the Shadow of The Blade” is about a Huey Helicopter, #091. It begins: “We were soldiers brave and true/ Who rode upon you in our youth.” It ends with: “After fifty years it is time for both of us to rest/ We both know we did our best our story is finally complete/ For we are HOME at last.”

Other poems—like “Why Do the Good Ones Die So Young” or “Your Life Made a Difference to Me” or “Wrong Place at the Wrong Time”—make the reader put down the book for a moment and think about the ghosts who haunt this author. Perhaps the most poignant of all, “We Lost Another Corpsman/Medic Today,” will haunt his readers.

 Review by Joyce Faulkner (June 2020)

 

Author's Synopsis

After leaving the Army, he tried to put Vietnam behind and lead a normal life. Though he’d go on to be outwardly successful, on the inside he battled demons of anger, guilt, traumatic memories, and inability to trust, leading eventually to getting fired and other destroyed relationships. Almost forty years later, after a breakdown and PTSD diagnosis, Kerry began to examine his torment through writing. This book is the gripping story of his experience in Vietnam and how it shaped his life for decades to come.

Being a Medic in the Infantry isn't for the faint of heart. Gunfights and medivacs are daily activities. Every decision means life or death in the heat of combat. Follow along as Doc Pardue recalls his combat tour with the U.S. Army's 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam

His journey is one of hope that help did come from many sources, the VA, his writing, going to group with other medics and corpsmen, and actively serve medic and corpsmen in leadership roles in their organizations.  He found that his service was honorable, that he did much to relieve the pain and suffering of those that he served with that were wounded. He saved lives and he held the hands of those that did not make it helping them to cross over death’s portal.

ISBN/ASIN: ASIN: B08787WG6V,  ISBN-13: 978-1477414989,  ISBN-10: 1477414983
Book Format(s): Soft cover, Kindle
Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book
Number of Pages: 278

God, Family, Freedom by John Stoeffler & Linda D. Stoeffler - Cover Illustrator

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MWSA Review

God, Family, Freedom by John Stoeffler is filled with dozens of poems that reflect on his family, life, and experiences. Some made me laugh, some brought a tear to my eye, but all were worth reading. The poems told stories, taught lessons, and asked questions. Easy to read, I felt like I was almost in the room with the author, and he was reading me the poems. I enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone who likes to read family-centered patriotic poetry.

Review by Bob Doerr (January 2020)

MWSA's evaluation found a number of technical problems (misspellings, grammar, punctuation, or capitalization) as well as other problems in one or more of the following evaluation areas: content, style, and/or visual. This normally indicates a need for further editing.

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Author's Synopsis

The cover of God, Family, Freedom is from a picture painted by my artist wife. It is inspirational, and I believe reflects the title of the book. One reader described my poetry as "Kind, heartfelt, and, at times heartbreaking." Accompanying each poem is a picture that ties in with and adds to the story each poem relates.

Some poems will make the reader laugh or smile while others may bring a tear to the reader's eye as they are so moved by the story. One example of this is the poem "The Old Veteran." "I AM AMERICA" a patriotic look at the sacrifice many who served from Bunker Hill through today. It is the opening poem in the book and one in which I am most proud. "A bad day at Bong Son" is the true story of the heroic efforts of then 19 year old Bobby Pridmore who risked his life in an attempt to save the life of a downed helicopter pilot. Any parent who has watched their daughter getting married will relate to the feelings expressed in the poem "You'll always be my little girl." Another poem, "Instinct, friendship or love" is the true story of two dogs that will touch one's heart. Virtually every poem will have meaning as they relate to many of life's experiences.

To paraphrase the words of an ad I can recall, get the book and "Read it, you'll like it!"

ISBN/ASIN: 978-1987-03976-4 Book
Format(s): Soft cover
Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book
Number of Pages: 171

Cowboys and War by Larry Fry

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MWSA Review

Cowboys and War by Larry Fry presents a verbal journey into the skies of war above North Vietnam and across the whole emotional war zone. Told with spirit and color that creates an image in the mind of the reader, the book is an easy read but an emotional one that captures the mood and feelings of that air war. 

A collection of poetry written in the voice of a fictional war pilot from the poet's own companion novel Delta Sierra, it is done well and stands alone— a worthy effort to convey the feelings of what it must have felt like for those flying missions in the Vietnam War.

Review by Bill McDonald (May 2019)

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Author's Synopsis

 Cowboys and War is a poetry collection written with the point of view and in the voice of Lieutenant Gary Bishop Deale, United States Air Force. Gary is a protagonist in the companion novel Delta Sierra, which describes his exploits as an F-105D Thunderchief pilot during the Vietnam War. The chap book also contains poems about his wife, Allison Faith Deale, who remains behind in North Carolina.

ISBN/ASIN: 9781981802456
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book
Number of Pages: 46

War in the Company of Medics: Poems of the 45th Surgical Hospital in Vietnam by John J. Candelaria

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MWSA Review

War in the Company of Medics, by John J. Candelaria, uses short narrative and imagistic poems to present a tale of war from the perspective of the executive officer of a MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) unit in Vietnam in 1969-70. Taken together, Candelaria’s thirty poems, offering vivid images of blood-soaked hands, a severely wounded commander promising “I’ll walk again,” the body of an enemy combatant caught in concertina wire, and spring rain falling amid bombs, ponder the consequences of a politically questionable war.

Most of the poems are composed in free verse lines, but several use rhyme or poetic forms such as the villanelle, haiku, and what Candelaria calls a “found poem in a Sijo sequence,” in which the titles of all the poems are included in the last poem to help create an overview of the entire poetic sequence. Most of the poems employ an objective, almost anonymous narrative voice that is quite effective.  The poems reach their best, I think, when they are most abstract and cryptic, creating scenes that could be overwhelming if relayed in a more subjective, personal manner: “Scissors cut uniforms, wounds/ pressed to keep life in”; “Blades slice the morning calm./ Dustoff arrives”; “Again, the body shudders,/ the boot strikes/ as if to wake the sleep of death.” 

Although the author occasionally concludes a poem by repeating a phrase or otherwise interpreting the scene that do not enhance the already powerful vignettes (as, for example, in “Slice of Time,” which ends with the comment “I left the morgue never/ to forget that slice of time”), overall these poems are memorable and striking. The “calm expertise” and “relentless sense of urgency” that Candelaria ascribes to the members of his surgical unit describe as well the driving tone of this work. This is a strong and significant collection.

Review by Nancy Arbuthnot (June 27, 2018)

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Author's Synopsis

During the Vietnam War, MAJ John J. Candelaria served as Executive Officer of the 45th Surgical Hospital. The poems and photographs in this collection reflect the anguish resulting from soldiers wounded and killed in the line of duty. John's tribute poems to the 45th Surgical Hospital are expressions that embrace in words the courage, duty, and valor of those who served with distinction at the 45th MASH.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-0-9861604-1-7
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Genre(s): Poetry Book
Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book
Number of Pages: 52
 

Vietnam Voices by Michael Lepore

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MWSA Review

Vietnam Voices by Michael F. Lepore is an excellent collection of the author's poetry.  Subtitled Echoes of the Vietnam Experience, the twenty eight poems in the book bring home to the reader the thoughts and emotions of those affected by the war, and it does so in a way that you can feel those emotions. Whether it's the thoughts and feelings of a parent approaching the Vietnam Memorial wall for the first time, or the thoughts of a young woman in Vietnam longing to go to the U.S. to find a father she has never known, Lepore has the ability of "getting under the reader's skin." In each poem, I could feel the simple truth that the author presented. This is not a political read, nor is it anti-military. It's simply a reflection of the harsh realities of war.

The poetry is thought provoking, yet it is easy to read.  My hats off to this author and to his work.  I recommend this book to all readers of poetry, those interested in books about the Vietnam War, and to anyone who simply wants a fast, well written book!

Review by Bob Doerr (July 2018)

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Author's Synopsis

Vietnam Voices employs in poetic verse the harsh realities of the Vietnam War as felt by those who fought it, those who anxiously waited at home, and those children born of American G.I.’s and Vietnamese women—innocent victims scorned for life. This book presents in all its complexity the bravado, agony and loss of those affected by combat and is as resonant with the issues that face our fighting men and women today as fifty years ago.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-0-9913861-3-0
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Genre(s): Poetry Book
Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book
Number of Pages: 60
 

From Nam with Love by Lloyd A. King

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MWSA Review

Vietnam War Poetry That Captures the Heart and Mind. Emotional and spiritual and hard hitting poetry from the combat experiences of Lloyd King. In his well written book of prose,  From ‘Nam With Love – An Infantry Soldier’s Vietnam  the reader is transformed along with the poet as he lives each day in the Nam. The poems are chronologically composed so that the emotional and spiritual energy grows and changes as the poet’s “tour of duty” proceeds though the year. He labels the poems with dates that they represent; and occasionally ends some with a short footnote as to who was killed or if he was awarded some medal.

I have read thousands of Vietnam War poems over the last decade and there is for the most part a certain sameness to them. However, King takes us on new pathways with his thoughts and observations and covers some themes that I have not read else where. One of my favorite poems in his book illustrates this point clearly by going in a more divine and mystical direction. The poem is called “The Vision” and it deals with a strange event that happens to him on Hill 903.

There is much compassion in King's poems as observed in several of his works of prose, such as the experiencing of his first combat kill. It shows a softer and more human side to this warrior; one that shows he is not some emotionless crazed killing machine as is portrayed in so many books and movies.

Lloyd’s personal thoughts and outlook on life are reflected throughout his book’s prose and also in his wonderful illustrations. This is one of the better books of war poetry written from the Vietnam War. It is this poet's journey of the heart and soul of that war experience and many others will be able to identify with him.

I personally give this book my endorsement and highly recommend it to others.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

A book of poetry about the author's experiences in Vietnam. Through poetry and illustrations, King tells the story of the combat soldier. He takes us from day one to day 365 captivating us with all the emotion and heartbreak of war. Both insightful and inspirational, Lloyd strikes a chord in the human heart.

Tracings by Carolyn Howard-Johnson

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MWSA Review

Feminine Energy From the Soul of a Poet.  Author/Poet Carolyn Howard-Johnson displays a different side of her talented self through an unusual look at life and feelings in Tracings a collection of poetry that reflects a non-traditional structure, timing, wording and even personal outlook. This poetry does not fit neatly into most poetic styling formats. She is not afraid to hang a phrase or a feeling out there bare naked for others to ponder and absorb.

Her themes are as varied and diverse as her wandering thoughts allow. She does not self censor her feelings but allows them to reflect her inner voice. Her life observations are sometimes simply “photographed in words” or emotionally “painted” with many brush strokes across the canvas of the pages. Each poem stands alone and speaks for itself. Her individual words are not what matters but the magic of how she strings them together to create this visual concept of what she is sensing and feeling or remembering is boldly articulated and leaves the reader totally in tuned with what she was trying to convey.

Carolyn is a masterful and creative writer and this small collection of her poetry certainly proves that to be true beyond any doubts! There is a fire of feminine spiritual energy burning in her writings but also a powerful and steady hand of control that gives these poems a special kind of feeling. You too will notice that these simple poems are much more than what they appear to be.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2006)

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Author's Synopsis

Book of Poetry

Remembering Willie, and all the others by Dennis Maulsby

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MWSA Review

You will never read another book of poetry again like the one that Vietnam veteran poet, Dennis Maulsby has written.  It is a work that defines the emotional essence of what the war felt like to those of us who served there.  It reaches inside your skull and your heart and rips them apart with such visual imagery that it leaves you breathless at times, with your heart beating faster than it should be.  But as you put down the written words, the inner verbiage still continues rolling around inside your head seeking comfort from wars and despair.

But his poetry is much more than just war as it embraces the dreams of young soldiers who still have memories of good times at Myrtle Beach of 1968.  Then he hits you with his poem, “Aging Warrior,” which takes you full circle emotionally and spiritually.

These poems will create different reactions in the readers based on their own view of life and death and war — that is the magic of Maulsby’s poetry.  It is much like a modern art painting subject to inner and very personal views of what is on the canvas; in this case, what he has on the printed page.

Dennis Maulsby is no doubt one of the top 10 poets to come out of the Vietnam War era.  His book is on the "MWSA Recommended Poetry Books List" to read for a good reason — it is a literary voyage that should be taken and experienced.

Sample of one of his poems:

MEMORY OF A EURASIAN WORKING GIRL

I hope she knew why I was so quiet, when
we held hands that night in her strange land,
uninvited and lost.

It must have made her uneasy, watching for cues
from this twice her size round-eyed male creature,
so large pored and hairy.

Blood-warm breeze felt so comfortable.

Her perfume riffing the air,
set time for the music

That night she even pierced my blind stare,
and helped me lay down my mountain of stored up death,
so weary with the weight.

Whether she was aware or not,
she did what women have done for soldiers these
thousands of futile years.

Fingers entwined our primal spirits touched
and I remembered
what my soul should look like

Copyright 2001 by Dennis Maulsby

This poem was recently printed in Lyrical Iowa, the annual anthology of the Iowa Poets Association

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2005)

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Author's Synopsis
 

Angels in Vietnam by Jan Hornung

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MWSA Review

Jan Hornung’s wonderfully crafted anthology weaves the experiences of women who had served in Vietnam through personal stories and poetry.  It includes stories and poetry by several noted authors both men and women.  The common thread throughout this book is that each had a unique and personalized story—no stories are the same.

When all these experiences and emotions are shared together in a volume such as this book—it gives them a special spiritual life.  Even though the experiences are all different there are some common threads that are the glue of this book; we are all one human race and we each are touched in ways both emotional and spiritual by war.  I felt the pains and the fears and joys of those who wrote their hearts out to share a part of their own experiences.

The book covers the experiences of nurses, entertainers, Red Cross Donut Dollies and other women and even some of the men who were touched by that experience.  I highly recommend this book to read to give you an a better idea of “angels” these women really were.

Angels in Vietnam is an award winning book and was on the top 200 best selling list back a couple of years ago.  It is till widely read and available through online book stores and at the author’s wonderful website.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2004)

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Author's Synopsis
Cry, laugh, and share womens Vietnam war experiences in their own words in this collection of stories, poems, and pictures of the Women Who Served. Over 11,000 women from America, New Zealand, and Australia went to Vietnam as nurses, American Red Cross workers, physical therapists, entertainers, librarians, and more. Ride along in a helicopter on a Christmas Day mission of the heart with Army pilots and American Red Cross Donut Dollies, in Vietnam, 1969. Meet Garys angel, a physical therapist who a wounded soldier found over three decades later to tell her, thank you. Take a trip back to the war with a woman when she finds her true love, a soldier fighting in Nam. Experience the war through a nurses eyes. Learn where the veterans are today. Read about the Australians and New Zealanders who served in Vietnam. Find out why male Vietnam veterans think the women who nursed, comforted, entertained, or just talked with them were Angels in Vietnam.Forward by David Hackworth, author of About Face and Steel My Soldiers Hearts.Jan Hornung is the author of This Is The Truth As Far As I Know, I Could Be Wrong and KISS the Sky: Helicopter Tales. www.geocities.com/vietnamfront

Sugar, Zeroes, and Lemon by Jim Greenwald

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MWSA Review

Poet Jim Greenwald has created a truly wonderful poetic journey for the heart and spirit. His poems capture moments from the heart and mind that readers will all be able to relate to. His poetry dances across relationships and examines the spaces between love and hurting. 

His poetry book "Sugar, Zeroes, and Lemon Drops" is one of those simple little books that you will find yourself reading many times. Perhaps, you will not read every poem again, but certainly some of those individual poems will resonate strongly within you. My favorite poem from his book is called "misplaced". I think the ending of it asks one of those personal and emotional questions that we have all asked of ourselves at one time: 

"looking...as I do each day, 
Hoping to find the place where I should be, 
I have a key... where is the door?" 

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2009)

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Author's Synopsis

If you have never cried over someone who walked away, you have never loved. Poetry and love possess a symbiotic relationship. Poetry, like love, is best experienced. The deeper the experience, the better they are woven, the better the weave and the deeper the emotion. I hope my words reach into your soul. For when they do, I have succeeded and we have shared both smiles and teardrops on this, the stage we call life. May your life be filled with sugar and zeroes.

Twisted Tongues by jim greenwald and Ruth Gerhardt

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MWSA Review

Twisted Tongues is a book of Native American historical poetry written by Ruth Naphas Gerhardt and Jim Greenwald.  The poetry is sincere with the authors opening their hearts to show how history has been misrepresented and mis-portrayed.  Both authors are sharing the truth about a part of history that didn't appear in my history books and I wonder about yours.
 
Having lived in Wisconsin all of my life, you might think that I would know many Native Americans, but I really don't.  There was a five year part of my life that I did, however, share with three beautiful Winnebago Indian children.  They were a sibling group that happened to be in our county system as foster children.  I had the honor and pleasure of being a foster mom to these kids and fell deeply in love with them.  
 
Authors Greenwald and Gerhardt share that there are many stereotypes about Native Americans.  My group of three children came to us because their mom was dealing with alcoholism. Their father was not a part of their life.  After five years with these children (ages 12, 14, and 16), my husband and I checked into the possibility of adopting the sibling trio.  The tribe would not hear of it because they "didn't want their children assimilated into 'White culture.'"  When the children were all teenagers, an aunt from out-of-state came into the picture and received custody of the children, after telling lies to the foster care system, and we ended up in court to defend our reputations, which was majorly important considering I am a school teacher, and the false accusations could have lost me my license and the future adoptions of five children. It cost us a lot of money to work through that whole process, but none of that matters to me anymore.  What matters is that I "lost" my three children, and it was worse than experiencing a death, because I didn't even get a good-bye.  

The ONLY thing that pulled me through the loss was that our first baby (through adoption) came into our life and every time I went to the threshold of his nursery door, I said this prayer: "Dear Lord, please don't let my pain affect my baby. Don't let my hurt transfer to my little boy.  Help me, Father, to regain my strength and move on from this."  After a year with this aunt, the oldest child contacted me, very unhappy because she felt her aunt had taken them in order to get their "Indian money."  This whole situation absolutely broke my heart.  I felt like a number of the stereotypic comments about Native Americans were being "proved" to me.  
 
So I have lived with a broken heart due to "my children" being taken and communication cut off forever.  I can't say that I've been living with resentment within myself, but I have lived with not understanding the reasons the tribe had for their decisions.  Somewhere within me I buried the pain.  I didn't have the history that has been shared in Twisted Tongues to help me on this journey in life.
 
When offered the chance to read Twisted Tongues I had no clue the impact that it would have on my heart and my thinking.  I didn't even have a clue that it dealt with Native American history.  The authors had no clue that I had any experience with loving three Native American children.   I believe that the connection was meant to be, and fourteen years after this painful time in my life, Twisted Tongues has begun to heal the hurts that have been buried deep within me.
 
Why do I share all of this?  Because Twisted Tongues has revealed Native American history to me.  Authors Greenwald and Gerhardt have written beautiful poetry to explain history and no condemnation comes through it.  I now understand that the birth parents of my three Winnebago (Ho-Chunk) Indian children could have had to deal with unbearable hardships.  Who knows what their parents and grandparents faced? Who knows what they themselves faced?  I now totally understand why the tribe wouldn't want their children "assimilated" in the "White world."  Read the poem "Suffer the Little Children" to see what happened to approximately 12,000 Indian children.  
 
Have you heard the expression "Walk a mile in someone else's moccasins"? Well, Twisted Tongues certainly will get you out of your shoes and into a pair of moccasins.  I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book.  I hope that others will receive a blessing from reading it, because of the understanding it brings about Native American history.  Thank you, Jim Greenwald and Ruth Naphas Gerhardt, for pouring your hearts into this project.  Thank you for working at enlightening people and doing it in such a way that we can learn and hopefully it will make a difference in our thinking and our lives. 

Reviewed by: Joyce Gilmour (2010)

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Author's Synopsis

The Twisted Tongues collection of "historical" poetry brings together two dynamic poets: Ruth Naphas Gerhardt (With Pen & Feather) and jim greenwald (Mitakuye Oyasin, and Tears for Mother Earth).

History unfortunately is written by the conqueror and therefore lacks the balance of truth one should expect in an accurate historical accounting. This collection presents facts, not fiction, of events that have taken place in this land that is now called the United States of America. In the "settlers" quest" for what was not available to them in their homelands, they set out to take from those who were the original inhabitants of this land. The result of this greed was hundreds of wars, multitudes of lies, and the committing of atrocities whose repercussions still resound today.

The writings within are not intended as complete history, but rather something to whet your curiosity enough to investigate on your own. Do so at your own peril as the truth can and will torture one's mind as it relates to beliefs held close as a result of the Declaration and Constitution. It should be embarrassing enough just to relate this one simple fact: out of the five-hundred plus treaties signed by Native Americans with the government of the U.S.A., the government cannot point to one it has honored.

The Supreme Court record, based on percentages of rulings against Native Americans is appalling.  Rarely has any governmental body utilized archaic law with such contempt and disregard for fairness, equality, and reason.  The court in one flagrant abuse of its powers used "latches" as an "excuse" to void the claims of land made by the Oneida. "Latches" literally means "they waited too long!" In Sherill (NY) v. Oneida, it was the lone deciding factor to toss out a legitimate claim to land that had, beyond a doubt, been stolen from the Oneida by the state of New York.  Not one ounce of reality or consideration was given to the fact that by oppression in many of its forms the Oneida were not capable of mounting a sustained legal fight for what is rightfully theirs. That is why they lost their land.

We hope you enjoy this collection and are stirred to investigate on your own what really happened and still goes on today. Set aside all your hard learned theories and beliefs taught to you by "Hollywood." This is real!

Vietnam in Verse – Mike Mullins

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MWSA Review

Vietnam War Poetry That Bares The Human Soul.  Author Mike Mullins states in his book, “It is what it is; a number of poems inviting people to experience what an average soldier felt during a time of war!” “It”, of course, refers to his book of poems about war. The ‘people’ the author refers to are those ‘people’ who have not experienced the wrath of war or felt the incredible affects that combat has on the human psyche … affects a soldier carries with him for the rest of his life … affects that many soldiers can’t cope with … affects that many soldiers can’t or won’t talk about … affects that scarred the minds of many soldiers similar to the physical scars caused by hot shrapnel, bullets, mortars, and rockets that the author talks about in his poem, Hey Medic.

Mike bares his soul in a unique way so others will experience the intangibles of war and thus be able to feel, live, smell, and taste what he did, what others did, what others can’t, don’t, and won’t talk about but are grateful to Mike for being their voice. Mike reveals many facets of war that most ‘people’ never read about or think about … inner consternations that are intense, intimate, and oft times incredibly private. Mike weaves his poetic stories on a literary loom with yarns that expose the inner sanctity, silence, and agonies of war that until now were harbored within his soul much the same as an artist’s brush paints intimate visions on an otherwise blank canvas. Mike’s words leave little doubt that war is a personal hell and that each soldier wages many separate wars within their souls.

Reviewed by: Lloyd A. King (2007)

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Author's Synopsis

I am Michael D. Mullins. I have written a book of poetry, telling my story when I was a grunt in Vietnam. I served there from March 1968 until March 1969. My unit was Delta Company, 3rd Battalion of the 7th Infantry in the 199th Light Infantry Brigade. Our motto was “Light, swift and accurate.” It could have easily been “light, sweaty and persistent.” We were mobile and proved it every day.

The stories I tell are about friends, vets I have met in various situations and my own experiences in the rice paddies of Southeast Asia. I continue to seek stories that inspire, concern, and delight me. They make me thoughtful, proud, and committed to their telling.

I have more to write and will continue to listen to the veterans I encounter on life’s road. There are 8.2 million of us, so I am sure I will not get to everyone, but to those from whom I have already learned and those in my future I offer my gratitude, my respect, and my thanks.

Kings of the Green Jelly Moon by King, Greenwald, Jellerson, Mullins

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MWSA Review

Kings of the Green Jelly Moon is an amazing recitation of poetry composed by four uniquely different voices. Wrought with rawness and realism, this diverse collection is sure to give the reader pause for reflection and understanding.

None but those who were actually entrenched in the jungles of Southeast Asia are qualified to educate others as to the lasting effects of the tragedy and turmoil that was Vietnam. Not only are these four author/patriots qualified, they are also masterful poets as well, each bringing their own flavor to the same subject, surviving Nam.

Lloyd King's “First Kill” is a chilling testament to the inherent value that a Soldier places on every human life even that of his enemy.

Jim Greenwald's “Just Stopped By” is a sobering reminder of those who paid the ultimate price for our freedom lest we forget.

James Jellerson's “Seven Stars” offers a glimpse into the depths of selfless camaraderie that only brothers in arms can share.

Mike Mullin's “Silence” gives the reader an intimate insight into the challenges of living with the memories of being a warrior.

Kings of the Green Jelly Moon is not merely a collection of poems about Vietnam, but rather songs about the human condition in all its forms. Absorbing and contemplating these poetic offerings will break the readers heart and mend it all at the same timeThis is a very impressive body of work. The level of talent and presentation is outstanding. Each poet bares his soul to the reader, giving us a privileged glimpse into their souls showing us the Vietnam they experienced and its lingering aftermath.

Reviewed by: Claudia Pemberton (2011)

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Author's Synopsis

KINGS of the GREEN JELLY MOON presents a searing collection of poetry written by a group of Vietnam veterans-each successful in their craft, all award-winning poets in their own right. The title Kings of the Green Jelly Moon recalls the innocence of childhood, a time when children believed the moon was made of green cheese. Then Vietnam changed an innocent generation as truth of war became their reality. From the impact of war on young men and how they are forever changed to the stark reality that fighting in a foreign country, the poems in the collection offer, in verse, a Vietnam veterans' reunion. These soldiers were forever changed by the experience that war forces upon those who fight and return from battle. Those who were lost can never be forgotten.

Emotional Mélange, by jim greenwald

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MWSA Review

jim greenwald has given us complicated, intimate visions of the emotional roller-coaster called love; its euphoria, loneliness, and void.  Memories, crisp on paper, recall the first breathtaking moment of soul's discovery and then pour bittersweet between the covers like tears from a broken heart.  If you've ever been in love, or long to be, these poems will tenderly touch, and then rip out your heart - just like life itself. 

Reviewed by: Linhart, Sandra (2012)

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Author's Synopsis

The poet distills words into emotional textures that weave themselves into and through our lives.
Lyrical in ways, covering the gamut of emotions, this his tenth book of poetry tugs at the heart strings, and illuminates the dark corridors of love.

This is a journey of life’s experiences. Sit back, relax and enter this reading journey with tissues in hand.

Mitakuye Oyasin, by jim greenwald

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MWSA Review

A Love for Mother Earth – Poetry that has a message

First off, the title of this book is taken from a Lakota term that when translated means “we are all related” thus the full title of poet’s Jim Greenwald’s book is “Mitakuye Oyasin: We Are All Related.” When reading his poems you can see very clearly that the title fits the poetry within the pages. Jim's Native American Ojibwe heritage comes through in great evidence in all his prose. This is another of his wonderful books of poetry and this may be his absolute best work to date.

The feeling you get from this themed book of poetry is that there is a connection with nature and the natural world around us. His words are like a walk in the woods with someone who truly loves being outdoors and appreciates the trees, the birds and all that surrounds him. This poet is very much at ease in the wilderness of his mind or in his earthly terra firma. So, it becomes a joyful and pleasant journey of prose as we transverse through this world that he observes.

His poetry has a message of respect and love for “Mother Earth” but also for each other. His words and phrasing are like a pathway to the inner heart. He knows how to connect with nature but he also connects with people. These poems are uplifting and hopeful. It was a pleasure to wander through his words and feel what he must have been feeling when he wrote them.

Some of his poetry asks questions as a way of pointing out a problem such as in his poem “Window.”

"He hears no animals, no insects, no birds,

only the noise of horns blaring,
as he breathes the poison engines spew out,
The air burning his lungs.
He sips his water from a bottle
as he stands beside a stream so polluted it stinks.
Grandfather, I do not understand.
Why would one destroy that which gives life?"

The poet and poetry become one and the same as you read his book. Wonderful verse and wise words! Certainly a poetry book of substance and spirit! I recommend it for poetry lovers and those who like Native American philosophy. It is a gentle reading experience and one that will fill you with peace.

Reviewed by: W.H. McDonald Jr. (2006)

Mitakuye Oyasin whispered to me, “Read me and experience me with your voice and ears, the eyes of your soul and heart, and the taste and smell of your memory and sensory.” Then I heard an even deeper voice, “Jim, Native Americans, and all the world are all related by the blood, streams and rivers of America.”

Sounds in the forest muted
dreams faded
darkness vanquished

Knowing how Jim doesn’t speak in the same manner as most, I recognize that the wounded warrior, Jim, has less wounds of the soul than me.

Here I find peace in your love
Here in my heart you will remain for eternity.

In order to begin to contemplate a warrior’s tears, I realized that I must be the maiden of Jim the Warrior: “Words of tenderness and passion flow from his soul which gives them life, to his lips, which give them sound, to my ears, which give them meaning.”

If am to understand anything Jim writes, I must be intimate and vulnerable. Will I courageously enter and reverence this sacred tear and space… knowing that mitakuye oyasin?

I hope to.

Mitakuye Oyasin is an important book of love, loss, the past, respect and survival as stated on the back cover. It was a wonderful reflection and food for me.  The poems forced me to ponder and take my own walk into the neglected woods in my backyard. After reading Message Received on page 61, I wrote: "Many of the poems are springboards for me to go deeper, beyond and alone, away from the author...but also with him." We are all related. All human beings contribute to the disharmony between each other and the earth.  All human beings are also capable of being the healing balm of Mother Earth. This excellent book has been on my heart and mind for the past three turbulent months. As I read it out loud and slowly, it aided in my healing. I danced to the words as my mood floated skyward and endured the darkened nights of bloodletting battles. As great poetry should do, it brought up more thoughtful questions than answers. Native Americans have a wonderful respect of Mother Earth, but the Siren’s lure of war and the romanticizing of the battle seem to be a major hereditary trait among all of us related.

Reviewed by:  Ron Camarda (2013)

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Author's Synopsis

This book is a mix of love, loss, the past, respect and survival. This planet we live on (Mother Earth) is in peril, of this no one should have any doubts. The issue is awareness, and whether we are to be part of the problem or part of the solution. What we do now will determine not simply issues of quality of life, but of life itself. If we continue to poison the air, water and seas, this home of ours will die.

He drove to work sipping coffee from a styrofoam cup, and when he finished he pitched it to the side of the road; it is only one styrofoam cup after all. It is a shame we often think of individual instead of collective concerns. For on that morning he was joined by at least a million others with the same thought.

It is time we all hugged a tree!

Wishing for Rain, by jim greenwald

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MWSA Review

Poetry That is Pure as Emotional Rain 

“Wishing For Rain” is one of those well thought out books of emotionally flowing prose; the kind of poetry that speaks of lost loves and loneliness. The poet uses the rain as a spiritual bridge from his heart to the universe. Jim Greenwald’s wonderfully crafted little poetry book (59 pages) comes across as soft and sensitive and at times inspirational without losing any male energy. It is a book that men will be able to relate to. 

Even though the words from most of his poems deal with lost loves and being alone, the under current is all about hope. The poet takes his readers on a journey of feelings and dreams and desires. He uses simple naked phrasing, which paints the inner image of what he is feeling without over writing each individual piece of poetry. It is a straight forward approach to his poetry that is honest. He dives into his heart quickly and pulls out pearls of feeling with each poem. It is poetry that easy to read and to understand. 
My favorite poem was the title poem “Wishing For Rain,” where the poet asks:

If I screamed I love you…would it rain again! 
Would I hear your words
Or feel only your tears as
They fell from the sky mixing with mine

Truly one of the better poetry books written over the past couple of years; a good book to buy as a gift to someone you care about.

Reviewed by: Bill McDonald (2010)

Wishing for Rain is a collection of tender heartfelt poems that embrace romance, longing, love, and loss. The poems are sensitive and poignant, delivering a timeless commentary on the complexities of the relationships of the human race. Jim Greenwald, whose background is a cultural mix that includes Native American, weaves the concept of spiritual oneness with nature into many of the poems. When you read of the starlit nights, the wind, the ocean, or the rain, you feel that you are part of the healing vastness of Mother Earth.

In poetry, each word counts. Greenwald uses his words to maximum effect, while leaving the meaning open enough that the reader can bring his or her own emotions into the poems. Using a free verse style, the poet allows the words to roll from the pages and into our hearts.

I enjoyed reading the poems out loud, savoring the sound and the feel of each line as it unfolded. I found myself going back to previous poems and reading them over and over. Wishing for Rain is the kind of book you can enjoy for a few moments each day for a long time to come. Leave it on your bedside stand or end table and visit it often.

Join Greenwald as he seeks to express the fullness of the human experience. You will be richer for having explored the deeper meanings of life, the joy of discovered love, the searing pain of brokenness, and the healing touch of a hand reaching out or a smile freely given.  

Reviewed by: Betsy Beard (2012)

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Author's Synopsis

We all have feelings, wishes and desires, to some expression comes easy while to others an endless struggle or a fight they refuse to join for a myriad of reasons. I have tried here on these pages to express not just my feelings but my perceptions of others feelings. There is nothing more complex than love, look for a definitive definition and surely your search would take years. My inspirations come from many directions, experiences, words overheard, a scene that unfolds before my eyes, a movie, a song. All directed in an endless search to express love and all that it encompasses. I hope my writing draws you in and it becomes part of you, join me in the journey. Enter my book, I hope you enjoy it.

Pass The Salt Doc, by Mike Mullins & jim greenwald

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MWSA Review

PTSD (Pass The Salt Doc) by Mike Mullins and Jim Greenwald is a book that I believe will speak to everyone. Whether you are a veteran, related to a veteran, or have friends who are veterans, or just care about the results of war, you should spend the time to explore this book to see the perspective of two Vietnam veterans. PTSD has become a “hot topic” in recent years. Mike Mullins and Jim Greenwald say, “real it is, damaging to the lives of those living it and the families that endure it and experience it day in and day out.” They also state, “PTSD is not about overcoming the past but about creating a future.” Mike Mullins and Jim Greenwald have used the tool of writing to help them to create their future and hope that Pass The Salt Doc will enlighten many regarding PTSD, but also will encourage others who may be struggling with their past to use writing/poetry to help them to begin to create their future, or just be able to relate and possibly open up to someone.

Pass The Salt Doc takes the reader right into the heart, mind, and soul of the experience of PTSD. The book is a combination of poetry and prose. It isn’t an “easy” read for the fact that it delves into emotions that some might want to try to ignore. For me, I believe it was enlightening, because I lived through the Vietnam War days, but knew no one involved and my life was pretty much unaffected…but now in my late 50s, I’ve had the honor of meeting and becoming friends of many veterans, and this book has helped me to understand what so many of them are dealing with still today.

Reviewed by: Joyce M. Gilmour (2013)

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Author's Synopsis

This collection of poetry is about after. After the war, its focus is PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), a serious issue among returning Veterans from all wars. Not easily recognized or readily identified. It does not have a set pattern that can be written down and checked off for all, as PTSD has many faces. This book is dedicated to all Veterans, past, present and future. For it is the Veteran we owe everything to, and taking care of each one is a national responsibility. The arts can and do work wonders for those suffering from PTSD and we would suggest that writing poetry is the strongest drug available to each of you and requires no prescription. Writing provides the externalization necessary to overcome traumatic events/experiences. No poetry you write is wrong or right it is simply necessary on the path of recovery. We are not therapists or professionals in this field and do not pretend to have magic cures. We will state that no professional can "cure" you without your coming to grips from within yourself with the issue and using that ability which we all possess to help ourselves. Writing allows the individual to place on paper emotions they find difficult to vocalize. It is this written expression that can bring about the change needed if "cure" is the desired destination.

Shadows of Combat, Poetry about the Vietnam Era, by Richard C. Geschke & Robert A. Toto

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MWSA Review

Richard Geschke graduated Kent State University with a degree in Comprehensive Social Studies and a ROTC commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Infantry. Robert Toto graduated Northeastern University and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant in the Infantry. They reported for active duty after graduation and met at the Infantry School, Fort Benning, Georgia in November 1969. Shadows of Combat are stories from their time in the U.S. Army, first in Germany and then in Vietnam, and finally back to the “World” and release from active duty in 1972.

The book is a series of poems written by the authors, some during the time period covered, and some stories that floated out of forgotten or long buried memories as late as 2013.

The reader sees the beginning of the end of the Cold War, and Vietnam War through the eyes of the two young Infantry officers thrown into the maelstrom of the Cold War and then the winding down of the hot war in Vietnam. The reader will get a small taste of the sacrifice and hardships our young men and women faced in the 1970’s, and the effect on their morale. Facing the hostility, rejection and indifference the public demonstrated toward veterans returning from Vietnam.

Vietnam is a stain on American honor, not a stain on the brave men and women that were sent to do an undefined job. The stain is on our politicians and the public, especially the anti-war protesters that are now sending more young men and women into places like Iraq and Afghanistan with a once again undefined mission.

Reviewed by: Lee Boyland (2014)

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Author's Synopsis

Authors Robert Toto and Richard Geschke have expanded their horizons of their original book In Our Duffel Bags, Surviving the Vietnam Era with a poetic interpretation of life in the army. Tracking their adventures in Germany, Panama and Vietnam the authors wax the poetic version of what they found in their duffel bags looking deeper into the fast changing times of the Vietnam era. With Shadows of Combat the reader will sense the history of what took place in this crucial time in American history.

Twisted Tongues Vol. 2 “The Invisible Americans” Native American Historical Poetry by jim greenwald

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MWSA Review

This second volume of Twisted Tongues is a continuation of teaching Native American history through poetry. Author Jim Greenwald asks his readers to approach his poetry with “an open mind, not with anger or fear as it is only the truth placed in plain sight…to believe or not…” I’m not sure about your background in history, but mine did not include the Native American history that Jim Greenwald has shared with his readers.

I can’t undo the history of my ancestors, but I can share the history found in Twisted Tongues with others, so they might just look at the way things are today and discover the reasons for it. I hope that the reading of this book will affect people’s thinking to the point of action.

The poetry is interspersed with narrative and readers are encouraged to do their own digging for facts, if they do not believe what Author Greenwald states. The poetry is beautiful but the topic filled with sadness. The loss of Native Americans through numerous ways of wiping them out is atrocious—sickening. It causes grieving for the reality of what one people can do to another. Can you imagine receiving payment for the scalp of another human being? Why is it that the genocide of the Native American population is not looked upon the same as the killing of the Jews?

I encourage everyone to take the time to read both volumes of Twisted Tongues. Keep an open mind, follow up with some research, and come to your own conclusions regarding the status of the Native Americans in the United States today. Share your reflections and thoughts with the author…but more importantly, have discussions with people in your circles regarding the issues addressed in these books.

Reviewed by: Joyce Gilmour (2014)

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Author's Synopsis

The untold story of Native American history: Twisted Tongues Vol. II follows in the footsteps of Volume I, a Gold Medal Award Winner and Pushcart Prize nominated book. The story of the injustices inflicted on American Indians is a long and sad tale in the history of this nation. The trail of injustice has and is winding its way through past and current history in continuing actions that attempt to deny rights guaranteed by treaty to the tribes. History untold is history relived. Our education system needs textbooks that reflect the truth, failing that, they should, at a minimum, reflect a balance. Open your minds and read this, not with anger or fear as it is only the truth placed in plain sight for you to believe or not as you choose. Forget the Hollywood movies, instead, when done reading the reading of this book is completed, do some of your own investigating, for knowledge is truly power.

Moral Injury; by Michael Lepore

MWSA Review
As a Viet Nam Vet, Michael's poetry hit some strong nerves. I am sure most readers would quickly grasp the confusion of combat, and the combative emotions of the soldier. Ideas of a young man totally thrown into a cauldron of fire that seeks to change all the ideals one as been taught as a child, and replace them with hate and cruelty. Those actions can set a pattern that will trouble the soul long after battles are over and weapons are stacked. Even years, half a life later, when the soldier lays down his head at night, the nightmare stands waiting, stamping her feet to ride through those traumatic times of long ago. I would recommend Moral Injury for many readers. The soldier knows, everyone else should seek to understand.
Review by Larry Murley, MWSA Reviewer

Author's Synopsis:
Moral Injury is a book of poems that chronicles the devastating effects of the Vietnam War on those American soldiers who returned home. The conflict between the moral instruction the young soldiers had been raised to believe in and the duty to follow orders and protect their comrades, between the instinct to survive and the wish to be compassionate led to the  moral confusion explored in this book.

ISBN/ASIN: 978-0-9982588-2-9 /0998258822
Book Format(s): Soft cover
Genre(s): Poetry Book
Review Genre: Poetry—Poetry Book
Number of Pages: 54