A Bootneck Dream... I dreamt the bootneck dream last night; it came to me so clear, I dreamt I saw my old troop; they seemed to me so near, I dreamt I heard again the sounds that only I can understand, And I dreamt I smelt the desert smells of that far off distant land. And in my dream I felt the warmth, and the heavy pouring rain, And I felt again the comfort of the ground, in the places I have laid, I dreamt I saw the blood red stain in the hard red desert sand, I saw again the sandy beaches, through which we had to land. I dreamt I heard a blast, and my brothers painful scream, And I saw his legs fill up with holes, after stepping on the IED, I dreamt I felt the familiar feel, of rifle, web and bergen, And I felt again my shoulders pain and the weight that was my burden. I dreamt of being out of wets, and the terrible, burning thirst, I felt of all the miserys, the lack of water is the worst, I dreamt of the itch of the stingy rash that stretched from toes to waist, And I dreamt of taking Paludrine and its bitter awful taste. I heard again the rifle shots, and saw Gimmpy tracer lines, I heard again the thump of shells, and the blast of IED mines, I dreamt I smelt rotting bodies and the sweet smell of blood, And I dreamt of finding brothers and the wounded in the mud. I dreamt of our wounded Royals, cleaned off and waiting aid, And I dreamt of other heroes and the sacrifices they had made, I dreamt of dragging hours, doing sentry out in the sun, And the fear filled haunting nights, in that post behind the gun. I dreamt of all these things, and it was if it were only yesterday, As I slept that restless sleep that soaks the bed in which I lay, I awoke to find that the world was as Id left it, when I went to bed, The Bootneck dream was real for me, but now its only in my head. Dave Lilburn
Posted on: Tue, 15 Jul 2014 14:47:02 +0000