They unloaded the dead and maimed right before our eyes
They washed out the blood, we loaded our ruck’s and then took to the skies
Over the mountains, villages, and valleys we flew
Where we would land we had not a clue
Bullets are flying, the LZ is hot
We’re leaving this bird whether we like it or not
30 seconds they yelled, Lock N Load and grab your shit
Get ready to go and make it quick
My heart is pumping adrenalin through all of my veins
I run as fast as I can through the lead rain
The noise is tremendous, terror I can’t define
The only reason I survived that day was divine
I kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more
You do what you have to do, with that I will say no more
We fought from the valleys to the mountain peaks
From house to cave, to car to creek
Dirty and tired and hungry and scared
We slept with our boots on so we were always prepared
Those majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skies
The Hindu Kush has changed so many lives
Up the mountains with heavy loads we trod
Who knew hell was so close to God
Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink
So we drank it like drunkards and tried not to think
Good men and bad men, Mothers lost son’s
Everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns
Washed in the blood, and baptized by fire
I will never forget those who were called higher
They say blood is thicker than water, well lead is thicker than blood
Brothers aren’t born they’re earned. In the poppy fields, the tears, and the mud
And when I get to heaven to Saint Peter I will tell
Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell
Steve Carlsen
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Based on my web research, the poet had joined the Army in 2000, but was honourably discharged in 2003. He is currently attending Southwestern Michigan College, where his professor, Dr. Michael Collins, challenged him to write about his experiences.
In the first quarter of the poem, we can infer that the poet is/was a paratrooper as they "took to the skies", "Over the mountains, villages and valleys we flew", and that they were "leaving this bird". The term "LZ" is the abbreviation for Landing Zone.
The poet was already prepared to die, and felt that it was a miracle that he did not perish in the battlefield. "The only reason I survived that day was divine", suggesting that it was miraculous that the poet had not died in "the lead rain". The "lead rain" refers to the numerous bullets that were raining down on the soldiers.
The poet was most likely fighting in/or near Afghanistan, as the "Hindu Kush" is a 500-mile mountain range that stretches between north-western Pakistan and eastern and central Afghanistan, and based on my research, the poet was deployed to Afghanistan for combat operations.
By stating that "who knew hell was so close to God", the poet suggested that he was fighting on the peak of the Tirich Mir, the highest point of the Hindu Kush as that would be the closest place to the sky. This point is further strengthened by "Those majestic mountains so steep, so high they kiss the skies".
The poet also made several biblical references, like the point above. The poet mentioned "washed in blood, baptized by fire", referring to Martyrdom, which is baptism by blood. This enables martyrs who had not been baptized by water to be saved. The martyrs refer to the soldiers who lost their innocence "when they carry guns".
Another biblical reference is "when I get to heaven to Saint Peter". This suggests that the poet is already prepared to die, and that the poet is a Catholic, as Saint Peter is regarded as the first Pope by the Catholic Church.
In conclusion, the poet was writing about the terrors of war, and that war is like hell, as can be seen when he said he would tell "Another Paratrooper reporting for duty sir, I spent my time in hell".
References: War Poetry 2010
