Poetry competition CLOSED 15th March 2013 3:02pm
WINNER
souladareatease
souladareatease
RUNNERS-UP:
jaspersilence
and Sinatra877
Spy Adventures and Misfits
Anonymous
THE SPY
All the others went off to war
They recruited me as they did before
For my knowledge of languages
For my ability to decode
I sit in a darkly lit room
Everything has a barcode
Every day I monitor the internet
Useless banter is useful when
The message is traceable
When I sense the goose bumps
Up my spine, as terrorists
Are throwing false leads
To lead us off their dirty deeds
It is Monday morning again
When the code breakers get back to me
The man I have been dating is also a spy you see
Except I did not know and now the attention
Bad attention, is focused on me
For my own good they lock me up
Interrogate me what the fuck
Goes on for hours humiliating tears
Until they break me with my fears
My lover who is handsome dark Levantine
Made two pacts with two devils very routine
I have to catch his ass and bring him home
I have to do it all alone
I am going to be my lover’s executioner
They have given me extra training and backup
When he comes to make love to me
He will be nude, exposed, and vulnerable
When he learns I have turned him in
In this world of endless night
I know the next person with this plight
For his kind is ruthless you see
The next person to be killed is me.
All the others went off to war
They recruited me as they did before
For my knowledge of languages
For my ability to decode
I sit in a darkly lit room
Everything has a barcode
Every day I monitor the internet
Useless banter is useful when
The message is traceable
When I sense the goose bumps
Up my spine, as terrorists
Are throwing false leads
To lead us off their dirty deeds
It is Monday morning again
When the code breakers get back to me
The man I have been dating is also a spy you see
Except I did not know and now the attention
Bad attention, is focused on me
For my own good they lock me up
Interrogate me what the fuck
Goes on for hours humiliating tears
Until they break me with my fears
My lover who is handsome dark Levantine
Made two pacts with two devils very routine
I have to catch his ass and bring him home
I have to do it all alone
I am going to be my lover’s executioner
They have given me extra training and backup
When he comes to make love to me
He will be nude, exposed, and vulnerable
When he learns I have turned him in
In this world of endless night
I know the next person with this plight
For his kind is ruthless you see
The next person to be killed is me.
Anonymous
INTELLIGENCE AGENCY BLUES
I work for the RCMP
We work with the DEA
Trying to keep hard drugs away
Harmony between Canada and USA
The problem began
When the marijuana laws were banned
It would have been legal here
Gateway drug it was labeled there
We have just seized a large incoming load
I manage to pocket a bit
They will not see with all that fuss
Why this is important to me
My Aunt is dying in pain
Pain pills help, but she needs Mary Jane
Canada, I wish I could be
Totally loyal to thee
But you have not heard the screams
Of the dying, even in your dreams.
I work for the RCMP
We work with the DEA
Trying to keep hard drugs away
Harmony between Canada and USA
The problem began
When the marijuana laws were banned
It would have been legal here
Gateway drug it was labeled there
We have just seized a large incoming load
I manage to pocket a bit
They will not see with all that fuss
Why this is important to me
My Aunt is dying in pain
Pain pills help, but she needs Mary Jane
Canada, I wish I could be
Totally loyal to thee
But you have not heard the screams
Of the dying, even in your dreams.
The Fall of a Spy
Your apocalyptic dreams appear in my vision:
women weeping - mixed with tears from heaven
and children crying for help, nobody can see
Sad pictures of your gloomy prophesy
Oracles of doom predicted fire in the sky;
what I'm beginning to see is the fall of a spy
Regrets fill my heart; we only remember the bad deeds,
not the galant efforts when he planted the good seeds
Let no stones be cast till this whole fiasco is over
The burden of proof lies not in the eyes of the beholder
We might think he was careless and got pussy-whipped
A silver lining separates the truth when one is tight-lipped
You're in a field of bounty but sees only weeds;
in the middle of an oasis, but sees only sands
If your mind is trapped in that sad context--
your spirit is weak and will starve to death
What if you were right and everyone else is wrong
for you see wealth in "weeds" tucked in your sarong
We shouldn't judge you based on our biased perceptions,
and mustn't peel the layers to the core without directions
Don't be fooled with what our naked eyes could see...
That's the moral lesson to our falling of a spy story
There could be a hidden agenda within their agenda
For their eyes only, and not for political propaganda
Your apocalyptic dreams appear in my vision:
women weeping - mixed with tears from heaven
and children crying for help, nobody can see
Sad pictures of your gloomy prophesy
Oracles of doom predicted fire in the sky;
what I'm beginning to see is the fall of a spy
Regrets fill my heart; we only remember the bad deeds,
not the galant efforts when he planted the good seeds
Let no stones be cast till this whole fiasco is over
The burden of proof lies not in the eyes of the beholder
We might think he was careless and got pussy-whipped
A silver lining separates the truth when one is tight-lipped
You're in a field of bounty but sees only weeds;
in the middle of an oasis, but sees only sands
If your mind is trapped in that sad context--
your spirit is weak and will starve to death
What if you were right and everyone else is wrong
for you see wealth in "weeds" tucked in your sarong
We shouldn't judge you based on our biased perceptions,
and mustn't peel the layers to the core without directions
Don't be fooled with what our naked eyes could see...
That's the moral lesson to our falling of a spy story
There could be a hidden agenda within their agenda
For their eyes only, and not for political propaganda
Shadow Warriors
As the days turn into months and months into years,
I do my job with many obvious fears.
From Taliban fighters and insurgents in Iraq,
I tell few truths and report simple facts.
I first started at Benning learning basic Infantry,
Listening to the mantra of “Be All That You Can Be”.
As the years moved forward my skills began to grow.
Then I was contacted by S-3 in the know.
They reviewed my 201 and asked a lot of stuff.
Ten months went by so it wasn’t a bluff.
I was given the spiel and an SF-86
That was before I got to learn new shit.
They spoke to my teachers and spoke with some friends,
They spoke to my employers and my parents again.
I was never to speak of it as another year went by.
The waiting game was grueling. I wanted to cry.
I trained at Quantico for a year but left with no trace.
You can find folks like me in every little place.
I was taught to fight in close quarters, with a gun or a knife.
And lived in austere conditions brimming with strife.
I gather intelligence; my role in this world.
I ready myself when things unfurl.
I collect the secrets not known to everyone.
Like a bad spy flick without girls or guns.
I learned the art of deception and the art of the kill,
My handler calls upon me when I fit the bill.
I do the dirty things that no one will know.
But that’s alright it’s the natural flow.
From laser guided cluster bombs to a simple folding blade,
I’m never in the limelight but always backed up in the shade.
I learn the languages and blend really well.
When I get my orders, I’ll unleash the Hell.
I hide in the shadows and take notes with my mind,
And contact my Handler only when in a bind.
I observe and report only what I see and hear,
But it’s filtered for DCI and his selective ear.
I’m considered HUMINT, just a cog you see?
And not as overt as a Chair Force UAV.
Just a simple asset that has boots on the ground.
I direct the Shooters by SIGINT to what I've found.
At times, a Tango outside Islamabad
Calling in Shooters to come in armor clad.
With Helos staged in Kabul with the need to know,
And Shooters in black, all ready to go.
I’ll sneak in the AO from the west you see,
And mark it ten clicks out with a VS-17 .
The slicks will go black, the mission’s a go.
And all I’ll see is the faint IR’s glow.
My assets near the IP, taking it all in stride,
Painting the LZ with IR for the Pilots’ stealthy ride.
Suppressed rifles flashed at once, taking out some sentries,
Clearing the area for the team’s dynamic entry.
Snatch-n-Grabs are gambles with a chance of blue on blue,
Rather a blue on red with a simple CBU.
If the intelligence is solid, everything will go well.
Then we’ll see what our Tango will tell.
I race back to a safe house and wait as I’m told,
Only an hour has passed but I feel so old.
Then to my delight, someone rattles my cage;
“Mission’s a go, proceed to next stage.”
“Tango is secured, Mission A-OK!”
“Twenty-two are down with no KIA!”
“AO destroyed, Going Phase Line Black!"
My cover was blown, there's no going back.
I landed a day later out in Kandahar.
I left my world, which seemed so far.
I meet my handler and was shuffled away,
I got my debrief the very next day.
My job is over and ordered on vacation,
I picked up a hobby and thought of my vocation.
But in four months time, I’ll be called once more,
To go to a place that was once a bore.
This is what I am; another asset or cog.
My job is solely intel and to clear the fog.
I’ll never get news stories or meet POTUS one day,
Because I’m just a lowly asset for the DIA.
As the days turn into months and months into years,
I do my job with many obvious fears.
From Taliban fighters and insurgents in Iraq,
I tell few truths and report simple facts.
I first started at Benning learning basic Infantry,
Listening to the mantra of “Be All That You Can Be”.
As the years moved forward my skills began to grow.
Then I was contacted by S-3 in the know.
They reviewed my 201 and asked a lot of stuff.
Ten months went by so it wasn’t a bluff.
I was given the spiel and an SF-86
That was before I got to learn new shit.
They spoke to my teachers and spoke with some friends,
They spoke to my employers and my parents again.
I was never to speak of it as another year went by.
The waiting game was grueling. I wanted to cry.
I trained at Quantico for a year but left with no trace.
You can find folks like me in every little place.
I was taught to fight in close quarters, with a gun or a knife.
And lived in austere conditions brimming with strife.
I gather intelligence; my role in this world.
I ready myself when things unfurl.
I collect the secrets not known to everyone.
Like a bad spy flick without girls or guns.
I learned the art of deception and the art of the kill,
My handler calls upon me when I fit the bill.
I do the dirty things that no one will know.
But that’s alright it’s the natural flow.
From laser guided cluster bombs to a simple folding blade,
I’m never in the limelight but always backed up in the shade.
I learn the languages and blend really well.
When I get my orders, I’ll unleash the Hell.
I hide in the shadows and take notes with my mind,
And contact my Handler only when in a bind.
I observe and report only what I see and hear,
But it’s filtered for DCI and his selective ear.
I’m considered HUMINT, just a cog you see?
And not as overt as a Chair Force UAV.
Just a simple asset that has boots on the ground.
I direct the Shooters by SIGINT to what I've found.
At times, a Tango outside Islamabad
Calling in Shooters to come in armor clad.
With Helos staged in Kabul with the need to know,
And Shooters in black, all ready to go.
I’ll sneak in the AO from the west you see,
And mark it ten clicks out with a VS-17 .
The slicks will go black, the mission’s a go.
And all I’ll see is the faint IR’s glow.
My assets near the IP, taking it all in stride,
Painting the LZ with IR for the Pilots’ stealthy ride.
Suppressed rifles flashed at once, taking out some sentries,
Clearing the area for the team’s dynamic entry.
Snatch-n-Grabs are gambles with a chance of blue on blue,
Rather a blue on red with a simple CBU.
If the intelligence is solid, everything will go well.
Then we’ll see what our Tango will tell.
I race back to a safe house and wait as I’m told,
Only an hour has passed but I feel so old.
Then to my delight, someone rattles my cage;
“Mission’s a go, proceed to next stage.”
“Tango is secured, Mission A-OK!”
“Twenty-two are down with no KIA!”
“AO destroyed, Going Phase Line Black!"
My cover was blown, there's no going back.
I landed a day later out in Kandahar.
I left my world, which seemed so far.
I meet my handler and was shuffled away,
I got my debrief the very next day.
My job is over and ordered on vacation,
I picked up a hobby and thought of my vocation.
But in four months time, I’ll be called once more,
To go to a place that was once a bore.
This is what I am; another asset or cog.
My job is solely intel and to clear the fog.
I’ll never get news stories or meet POTUS one day,
Because I’m just a lowly asset for the DIA.
S-3 - Operations, general staff system term used in breakdown of table of organization and command. i.e. S-1 Personnel, S-2 Intelligence, S-3 Operations, S-4 Supply/Logistics
201 - aka. 201 Personnel File, file which encompasses all known information on the military member.
SF-86 - Application for National Security Clearances (Six months to twelve month wait for clearances like Confidential, Secret, Top Secret)
DCI - Acronym, Director of Central Intelligence.
HUMINT - Acronym, Human Intelligence.
UAV - Acronym, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. i.e. Predator, Dark Star aka Beast of Kandahar.
SIGINT - Acronym, Signals Intelligence.
Tango - radio and general speak for "Target" i.e. bad guy/s.
AO - Acronym, Area of Operations.
Click - military term meaning kilometer.
VS-17 - Equipment, Infra-red signal marker.
Slick - slang term for Helicopter or Helo, i.e. Huey helicopters had slick rails for landing gear although most utility helicopters are Blackhawks and Chinook type.
IR - Acronym, Infrared.
IP - Acronym, Insertion Point.
LZ - Acronym, Landing Zone.
Blue on Blue - Term, friendly fire. Friendly on Friendly.
Blue on Red - Term, the natural order. Opposite than blue on blue above.
CBU - Acronym, Cluster Bomb Unit or GBU, Guided Bomb Unit i.e. CBU-97 or GBU-54 (game changers).
KIA - Acronym, Killed in Action.
POTUS - Acronym, President of the United States.
DIA - Agency acronym. Defense Intelligence Agency.
201 - aka. 201 Personnel File, file which encompasses all known information on the military member.
SF-86 - Application for National Security Clearances (Six months to twelve month wait for clearances like Confidential, Secret, Top Secret)
DCI - Acronym, Director of Central Intelligence.
HUMINT - Acronym, Human Intelligence.
UAV - Acronym, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. i.e. Predator, Dark Star aka Beast of Kandahar.
SIGINT - Acronym, Signals Intelligence.
Tango - radio and general speak for "Target" i.e. bad guy/s.
AO - Acronym, Area of Operations.
Click - military term meaning kilometer.
VS-17 - Equipment, Infra-red signal marker.
Slick - slang term for Helicopter or Helo, i.e. Huey helicopters had slick rails for landing gear although most utility helicopters are Blackhawks and Chinook type.
IR - Acronym, Infrared.
IP - Acronym, Insertion Point.
LZ - Acronym, Landing Zone.
Blue on Blue - Term, friendly fire. Friendly on Friendly.
Blue on Red - Term, the natural order. Opposite than blue on blue above.
CBU - Acronym, Cluster Bomb Unit or GBU, Guided Bomb Unit i.e. CBU-97 or GBU-54 (game changers).
KIA - Acronym, Killed in Action.
POTUS - Acronym, President of the United States.
DIA - Agency acronym. Defense Intelligence Agency.
EngrVV said:Thanks for your entry Sinatra877 and for the glossary of terms for those who are not in the know...this is the real deal. I hope you didn't blow your cover...by the way, welcome to DUP!
Thanks EngrVV. It's a fictional poem based on non-fiction experiences. I've been around the block in my old world and worked with the secret squirrel types in my past. If you want to see my POV from that lifestyle you should read my other poem "Shadows In Light". The work I did was a bit secret squirrel in it's own right.
BTW: When will this competition end?
Thanks EngrVV. It's a fictional poem based on non-fiction experiences. I've been around the block in my old world and worked with the secret squirrel types in my past. If you want to see my POV from that lifestyle you should read my other poem "Shadows In Light". The work I did was a bit secret squirrel in it's own right.
BTW: When will this competition end?
upon Nguyen Ngoc Loans Knee
to be just three, bounced upon knee
this man owns a grocery store
peace, liberty we set up for he
living the life, cost of the coasts
stood under redwood lived live oak
summertime visits with man of the cloak
these hours of found catching the sites
Norodom Sihanouk himself on the run
came to a field borrowing guns
but no good despot designee
chased by red faced rouge
brought them along while
exchanging said goods, frights and flight
continues drop ins of swelter
cold wars found me barely but breathing
all points encompass shining seas
each house so different in-between
inspector of missiles which
"they" two the same
change of credentials
as I sat back in play
to learn of him languages, thoughts
of the doubt, reasoning's and seasonings
spread the years all throughout
every time or two all different view
walks through the malls
shadowing calls, while the walk
just wanted spent, back here at home
hanging my hat, reading of Rome
tarry was the way, these unwanted sabbaticals
yet I've stood in, on, and beside works of art
AWE for ME
places You bounce
from knee to wherein, feels free
where fates landed, brought you to be
mind food proper bodied ponder or not
escapes, my thoughts, wear or whens
shelter and health, good that is felt
we the country owed loan shelter
bad man or good he had a smile for me
took me in his arms,
bounced me on knee
TORN
She was just another target.
Just another mark.
As I followed closely.
I saw she had a heart.
The months went by so quickly.
I watched her from afar.
I knew when this was over,
the assassin's work would start.
So I took my time,
and even befriended her.
Eventually we fell in love,
I'll never let them hurt her.
Though what I chose to be,
catches up with you in the end.
She was on to me from the beginning,
and now both sides want me dead.
She was just another target.
Just another mark.
As I followed closely.
I saw she had a heart.
The months went by so quickly.
I watched her from afar.
I knew when this was over,
the assassin's work would start.
So I took my time,
and even befriended her.
Eventually we fell in love,
I'll never let them hurt her.
Though what I chose to be,
catches up with you in the end.
She was on to me from the beginning,
and now both sides want me dead.
