Not One Discarded Candle
Poems of Love and War
by
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My Lily While walking through woodland splendor, Alas, content not I to have enjoyed Vacationland "This is it! This is the place!" Last night was another journey; Familiar scenes, familiar objects
I chanced upon a lily fair
Whose delicate fragrance beckoned me;
I gazed in wonder at beauty natural,
This small flower whose petals white,
So tender to the touch did bestow;
In my haste its’ loveliness to possess,
Did pluck it unwittingly from its’ home.
The radiance of my lily growing
Where it would have blossomed on,
I sadly watched the glory exceptional
Of that precious life wither and die
Within a time so short expired,
By my own discontent, destroying life;
My joy thus turned to sorrow multiplied
For the thoughtless sin of selfish desire.
I shouted with glistening eyes,
a bittersweet return within
the sleeping soldier’s mind.
People have sometimes asked
if I have ever returned to Viet Nam;
"Only in my dreams!" I respond
with anxious chortle and grin.
this time to the town nearby
where I was stationed;
they had turned the whole place
into an amusement park:
helicopter rides, test your strength,
target practice and tunnel mazes!
Somehow, the rides and attractions
were all too familiar and I wept.
sold as souvenirs, familiar faces;
even she was there (I found her!),
but recognized me not
for I had aged so, and she--
she remained young,
trapped in time.
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About the Book
The joy of new love, the hope of long term relationship, the sorrow of separation . . . and loss, Joe Hertel has assembled this collection of fifty-five of his poems spanning a thirty-five year period, poems about love, and war, sharing his experiences with us. In a few words: "Shattered dream", "Touch my name"; "Detached thoughts", the author introduces us to his experience, and leads us through a descriptive visit of emotions, emotions that we too have felt, expressed through the heart of a poet. Joe began writing poetry in 1965, just before he was drafted into the military, and, over the years, saved the poems he wrote to express his feelings. Upon retiring in July 2000, with the encouragement of friends, he began to revise and assemble his poetry into a collected work for publication. The first two sections deal with love and relationships; the last section contains poems written about his experience during the Viet Nam War, included because of their relevance in today’s uncertain world. The poems in this collection will touch your heart and evoke images from your own experiences as Joe rekindles candle after candle of memories not discarded.
About the Author
Joe Hertel was born in Chicago, Illinois, where he still resides. He graduated Steinmetz High School and attended Chicago Teachers College (now Northeastern Illinois University) until he was drafted into the army in 1966. He served in Viet Nam from March 1967 until April 1968, and was honorably discharged in 1970. Joe retired in July of 2000, after working for the City of Chicago as an investigator for consumer fraud and as a risk assessor for children’s lead poison. He now plans to spend his time writing and painting. He founded and had been curator of the Viet Nam War Museum in Chicago for over fifteen years, until it closed operations on April 30, 2000.