My Dad loves to write. I wish I could say that we get along perfectly but we don't any more. Even though we do not see eye to eye, I am in awe of his sacrifice in Vietnam. I wanted to share a poem with you that he wrote shortly after he came home. The words show a man struggling with coming to grips with his experiences. As I googled Dad's name I found these pictures...not the poem yet. He never really shared all that much with me, as to what happened over there. But I have to say these photos brought tears to my eyes. I think about his days and I wonder how his mind ever fought through the actions he had to take to survive. If you wish to view them here is a link. PHU LOI PATROL
Thanks Dad.
Here is the poem:
I visited the wall today and posted a message by the name of Earl Aiko Okumura, he died in my arms Aug. 1, 1968. I left part of a poem I wrote about 25 years ago (just the last part of it). This is the entire poem.
The Other Side
(Refer to as Prose)
Ive been told from time to time, Try to see it my way. Look at the other side. I know theres the other side of day, the other side of right. Somewhere, the two sides must meetsomewhere in time, in space. If you go far enough east, do you find yourself west? Does the same thing happen to love, to hurt, to caring? Why cant we stop before we venture too far? Could it be that we dont know ourselves? Are we overwhelmed on the idea of fulfilling our own needs, without thinking of the other side?
Do we move too fast, too slow, or in the wrong direction? Are we afraid of disapproval, hurt or just finding the truth within ourselves? Can we really find this truth? We may ask others. We search our past, plan our future, and seek the answer from the still small voice from within.
I believe it is best to plan for the future. Dont regret misfortunes in the past. (It is best not to live in the past either.) Enjoy today, help others and accept their help when its offered.
We all have the same feelings: love, hurt, anger, and anxiety. We have different levels of these emotions, and for different reasons. We can all relate to them. Only within ourselves do we know what degree of pleasure or pain these feelings bring; from our own past experiences. So love one another with understanding. For the other side is really ourselves, at another level at another time.
Arne O. Espedal, Jr.
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