Art
Foster’s The Desert Sand
This is the sixth poem in a series that 85-year-old Dongieux Foster of Satartia has allowed us to share with our readers.
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This poem was written many years ago, 1960 to be exact. Dongieux Foster was serving in the United States Army. Foster and all of the other soldiers who were so far from home were not allowed to disclose many of their assigned locations. Military tensions were very high and danger lurked around every corner, and sometimes incidents would happen when someone wanted to attain a tool of intimidation, gain power or receive financial support.
No one could truly understand this unless they had ever been on a sea of sand with only a map and a compass.
THE DESERT SAND
It was early in the morning
the mission had just begun
we traveled down a lonely trail
through an open space at a run
We were now on the desert sand
on this stretch no cover at all
from the air we were not seen
ahead it looked as if we saw a wall
The cloud of wind and sand
was coming at us moving fast
we covered our eyes and face
and braced ourselves for the blast
but yet we still had to press on
time was critical we had to try
or those we were sent to rescue
then would most surely die
soon the sand is still the wind gone
and the sun sinking low in the west
soon the darkness would hide the light
until that time we must stop and rest
until the time had finally come to strike
we moved in like a thief in the night
silently we found the place they were
we did not want to delay of fight
we opened the door and stole away
to the pickup point we must not be slow
the choppers are waiting till we arrive
mission accomplished and home we go
Written by
Dongieux Foster
September 1960