Search and destroy, South Vietnam, 1968, photo by Mike Marcellino copyright 2009
"It's like listening to time as it passes over the dead and damaged of wars past and present. It's a voice for peace, no a cry for peace and for the carnage to end...This (The Walls of Fire) lovely and haunting piece of poetry should be a world wide sensation" – Paul Donohoe, writer/editor, Tasmania, Australia
By Mike Marcellino
The walls of fire
grow higher, higher
pools of blood
carnage
bodies of brothers
touching
rock cliffs and open fields -
Hornet’s Nest at Shiloh
Devil’s Den, Gettysburg.
The walls of fire
grow higher, higher
pools of blood
carnage
bodies of brothers
touching
sea to shining sea -
lost in the Argonne Forest
face down on beaches at Normandy
frozen by the waters of Chosin Reservoir.
The walls of fire
grow higher, higher
pools of blood
carnage
bodies of brothers
touching
paddies, highlands -
Nui Ba Dinh, the Black Virgin Mountain
the Ashau Valley
along the perimeter of Khe Sanh.
The walls of fire
grow higher, higher
pools of blood, carnage
bodies of brothers
touching
empty deserts
filled with giant rising suns -
Fallujah rooftops
unknown streets of Sidr City
barren mountains, caves of Tora Bora.
The walls of fire
grow higher, still higher
pools of blood
carnage
bodies of brothers
touching.
The walls of fire copyright by Mike Marcellino 2009
I wrote this song earlier this year, but it seems the moment to share it as I feel the loss of my US Army brothers and sisters and the police officer at the Fort Hood massacre. It is also the eve of Veterans Day and I remember my brothers in arms that did not return from Vietnam and those living with the wounds, physical and mental, from our nation's longest war. I only hope that our soldiers can return home soon.
Our new folk band, Mike Marcellino with Ensor expects to release a recorded version of this piece tomorrow, Veterans Day on ReverbNation and MySpace.
Our new folk band members are Mike Marcellino songwriter, vocals and Texino, mandolin, production - two Army "brothers" who served in the Vietnam War together and lived to make music together many years later. Musician Randall Leddy from Brooklyn played bass guitar and did the production of "Flatbush."
To listen to our first three (now five) songs, recorded this fall in Brooklyn NY and St. Augustine Florida, go to My Band on Facebook or to ReverbNation and be a fan, help get our band off the ground (or beach).
Mike Marcellino on ReverbNation
My Band on Facebook
Listen now to our debut songs - "Flatbush" (with Randall Leddy on bass guitar and production) "Las Cruces" and "Amelia Earhart, soft silver wings" (with David Dowling on guitar)
A listener says we're "unique" and I take that as a compliment. Listen for yourself, if you like, message your friends. And, remember Veterans Day is 365 days a year because our troops protect us every day and many give their lives or pay the price every day.
Since this was written our band has also recorded and released "Bondi beach" a poetry music story of a Yank's flight from Vietnam to Australia and facing big waves in the third most shark infested surfing beach in the world.
The walls of fire
grow higher, higher
pools of blood
carnage
bodies of brothers
touching
rock cliffs and open fields -
Hornet’s Nest at Shiloh
Devil’s Den, Gettysburg.
The walls of fire
grow higher, higher
pools of blood
carnage
bodies of brothers
touching
sea to shining sea -
lost in the Argonne Forest
face down on beaches at Normandy
frozen by the waters of Chosin Reservoir.
The walls of fire
grow higher, higher
pools of blood
carnage
bodies of brothers
touching
paddies, highlands -
Nui Ba Dinh, the Black Virgin Mountain
the Ashau Valley
along the perimeter of Khe Sanh.
The walls of fire
grow higher, higher
pools of blood, carnage
bodies of brothers
touching
empty deserts
filled with giant rising suns -
Fallujah rooftops
unknown streets of Sidr City
barren mountains, caves of Tora Bora.
The walls of fire
grow higher, still higher
pools of blood
carnage
bodies of brothers
touching.
The walls of fire copyright by Mike Marcellino 2009
I wrote this song earlier this year, but it seems the moment to share it as I feel the loss of my US Army brothers and sisters and the police officer at the Fort Hood massacre. It is also the eve of Veterans Day and I remember my brothers in arms that did not return from Vietnam and those living with the wounds, physical and mental, from our nation's longest war. I only hope that our soldiers can return home soon.
Our new folk band, Mike Marcellino with Ensor expects to release a recorded version of this piece tomorrow, Veterans Day on ReverbNation and MySpace.
Our new folk band members are Mike Marcellino songwriter, vocals and Texino, mandolin, production - two Army "brothers" who served in the Vietnam War together and lived to make music together many years later. Musician Randall Leddy from Brooklyn played bass guitar and did the production of "Flatbush."
To listen to our first three (now five) songs, recorded this fall in Brooklyn NY and St. Augustine Florida, go to My Band on Facebook or to ReverbNation and be a fan, help get our band off the ground (or beach).
Mike Marcellino on ReverbNation
My Band on Facebook
Listen now to our debut songs - "Flatbush" (with Randall Leddy on bass guitar and production) "Las Cruces" and "Amelia Earhart, soft silver wings" (with David Dowling on guitar)
A listener says we're "unique" and I take that as a compliment. Listen for yourself, if you like, message your friends. And, remember Veterans Day is 365 days a year because our troops protect us every day and many give their lives or pay the price every day.
Since this was written our band has also recorded and released "Bondi beach" a poetry music story of a Yank's flight from Vietnam to Australia and facing big waves in the third most shark infested surfing beach in the world.
