Member-only story
Go Ask Alice Burke
A Vietnam veteran’s reason why
Go ask Alice what it was to be a soldier
At the one time in American history
When "soldier" was a dirty word
Go ask Alice about the times
She changed out of uniform in the ladies room
To avoid being spit upon
Go ask Alice
I think she’ll know
There are those
Who don’t understand
Why someone like her
Who’d served drinks to celebs in Saratoga
Who’d met Picasso
Who’d ridden on the back of Keith Richards' motorcycle
Would put on Army green and beige
And cross the line from cool to whatever that was
But maybe they don’t know
About her father in a POW camp
Far longer than any human should endure
Maybe they don’t know
That he survived
Coming home to raise a large and loving family
Maybe they don’t know Alice
But, if they ask her
I think she’ll know
©2020, Denise Shelton. All rights reserved.
