"The Walls of Fire" a recording, poem and photostory by Mike Marcellino

The walls of fire
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 Sadr 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

Photos by Mike Marcellino, South Vietnam, 1967-68 Copyright 2010

(top) "My Girls" (right) "Oriental River" and (below) "Search and Destory"

Mike served in the US Army as a combat correspondent and photojournalist in the Vietnam War from 1967 to 1968.

He  recorded "The Walls of Fire" as the folk band's fourth poetry song in November 2009.  Mike is songwriter and vocalist and Tomas Texino composed the music.

You may listen to the recording of "The Walls of Fire" on the music player here or visit our band site at ReverbNation.  You've invited to be a follower of Mike's blog, "The Point of the Whole Thing" and a fan of the band on ReverbNation and the band's Facebook page.

Mike Marcellino on ReverbNation

Mike Marcellino on Facebook