A Tale of Two Towns

 

Two towns

out in the middle of

nowhere Missouri,

at the edge of

the Ozarks,

Waynesville and

St. Robert.

Two towns

in close proximity

to the Army base

Ft. Leonard Wood,

Missouri where

I was sent

for Basic and

Advanced Training

in 1964.

Two towns,

the drill sergeants

warned, were rife

with alcohol,

drugs, gambling

and prostitution.

Two towns,

GIs beware,

syphilis, and

gonorrhea,

robbery, murder

and mayhem are

pervasive and

await you there.

I was seventeen

and lacked experience

in such lurid affairs.

Two towns,

some of those

who were tired

of their confined

and restricted activities

in the military

when allowed to

escape on pass,

chose the Devil

over the Divine.

Two towns,

Waynesville

and St. Roberts,

and my recollection

of the biblical

story of Sodom and

Gomorrah saved me

from having to look

back and turning

into a pillar of salt.

A Tale of Two Towns,

I wondered how many

lonely and mislead

soldiers returned

to base off of pass

irreparably salinated

and forever changed?

               -30-

Chris Hanch 8-31-2023