Task 1: Poem report

Ok, I haven't blogged for about a few months already...So, I shall start blogging!

Here goes:

We slept with our boots on by Steve Carlson

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


I have found very little resources about Steve Carlsen (everything's about Steve Carlson) from the internet; hence I shall write this report and detail the conflict in the poem based on my understanding of it.

When I first read the poem “We slept with our boots on”, it struck me that there was a sense of insecurity and urgency. The title itself had given me the impression that the persona, or the soldiers were on their guard even when sleeping, preparing for another surprise attack or strike. Throughout the poem, one can identify the conflict in the persona, who was forced to do what he did not want to.

In the first part of the poem, the persona’s helplessness is emphasized as “where we would land we had no clue” and “we’re leaving this bird whether we like it or not”. The fact that the persona had no idea of where they would land suggests that there is simply no destination; no specific location, no specific target, and the mindset of the soldiers at that time is “Just fight where they bring you to”. These soldiers are clueless about the plans and strategies, but were merely used as pawns to fight and “defend the country”. In the second quote, the “bird” refers to the helicopter, and when the persona said that they had no choice but to leave the helicopter, he may be implying that there was no turning back for them; they could not back out or run away in the helicopter, but had to stay in the fighting field until the enemy had been eliminated, or the soldiers themselves have died. These two quotes help readers sympathize with the persona for his helplessness in the matter.

In the second part of the poem, where most of the fighting takes place, the persona shows his reluctance to fight, yet he had no choice; there was only one rule in the ruthless and cruel battle field – kill or be killed. In a sense, this logic usually applies to animals in the wild, and hence this could draw a link between them, implying that the soldiers were merely animals fighting in the wild. Although the persona was scared, as he experienced “terror he can’t define” did not want to fire, he understood that the only way to live was to kill, and thus he “kept pulling the trigger and reloading and pulling some more”, as that was “what you have to do”. The word “have” suggests that it was a necessity to pull the trigger; to stay alive.

In the last part of the poem, where most of the shooting were over, the persona’s conflicting afterthoughts towards his inevitable murder of many people were expressed in the poem. After killing so many people, the persona must have felt very guilty and dirty, but the easiest way to forget this was to get drunk, and they “drank it like drunkards and tried not to think”. However, though indulged in alcohol, the persona is unable to forget these incidents and starts to dwell on it again, thinking that “everyone loses their innocence when they carry guns”, as the battlefield becomes an arena for mass murder for your own survival; no mercy, no cowardice. The persona then goes on to say that “lead is thicker than blood”, which implies that having a gun and the ability to shoot it well is far better than having a brother or relative, as it is ultimately the gun that can save you from trouble. On the other hand, the “brother or relative” is not born but earned from the sweat, blood and time spent together suffering. In essence, this means that in times of trouble, one would favour the gun more than his brother as the gun can help you more and a brother is merely a normal figure which can be “earned”.

Hence, this sums up the persona’s conflicting feelings towards his predicament.