The Song of the Mortars...

 

 

The Song of the Mortars

 

 

The squad was well rehearsed.

Four of them sang in a bar, nights.

 

The forward observer had targets that seemed to look like troops. (Whatever you do don’t call the bleeders people.)

The fire direction control had aiming stakes

 set to align from this placement to

 some distance, anywhere in this quadrant.

 

The squad sang, “A Love you don’t find everyday ay ay,

 doo doo-doo doo-doo doo, doo”

They  moved with the rhythm of the music and sang as they carried the shells

 and fixed the charges,

"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'."

"SHORT THREE! RIGHT TWO!" Bracketing the target.. Closing in on the meaning.

"ADD ONE! RIGHT ONE!" Finding the pinpoint in the distance,

    though blind to it.

 

They carried the shells in rhythm to the song.

Calibrated sights on aiming stakes,

took off fewer charges to adjust for distance,

carried the shells to the mortar pit,

 

"FIRE FIVE HIGH-EXPLOSIVE FOR EFFECT,

WHEN READY! "

 

The shell drops into the tube and explodes up and out with

a loud "whoosh." If you lie down beside the tube and look

up, you can see the projectile go up and arc over into time

and otherness.

 

"You've lost that lovin' feelin' now its gone, gone, gone, oo oo oo ooo."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Emmi]

[this is good] Is this a poem of sorts? Intriguing!

[Nate Capehart]

Just some writing. People should classify however they see it.I was fire direction control for a mortar squad in the sixties and 4 of them did sing that song very like the Rightious Brothers in perfect harmony while preping to fire.

 

Thanks for the comment, Nate

[Gilbert Ledoux]

[this is good] What does it plan?