Tim Hunt

Cline

English 102

7 Feburary, 2011

Napalm

Witnessing something can change a life forever. Certain smells, feelings, and even people can bring memories back that were supposedly forgotten. The truth is, those moments are burned into our minds, they help to mold the person we are. Trying to forget is useless, but learning to live with it is useful. In Bruce Weigl’s poem, “Song of Napalm,” he speaks of a time he would probably like to forget, in a place he would probably like to forget. His writing includes very graphic and emotional events which makes it a form of poetry of witness. Poetry of witness is written to help describe an emotional and indescribable even, which is seen from the eyes of someone who wishes it would not have happen.

War is brutal and ugly and is not something people enjoy. It can get you, or other innocent people killed, and can leave emotional damage behind. However often times, it is necessary to fight battles on the ground. In Weigl’s poem, he starts by saying, “After the storm, after the rain stopped pounding” (line 1). Bruce is refereeing to the battle that just ended after a storm of bullets and violence that were raining down on him. He fought for his life and everything he believes in while loud noises pounded away. War changes a person, living with the violence can be difficult. “Okay. The storm stopped pounding. / I am trying to say this straight: for once/ I was sane enough to pause and breathe.” (Weigl, Lines 15-17) The battle already took emotional damage. After the fighting stopped, he still cannot believe it. Being in a battle and witnessing it is unbelievable. It never stops; it is relived every time he closes his eyes. The fighting was so fast paced and violent, he barely had time to think, let alone breathe. Most people do not like being in situations that are violent, fast, and deadly, certainly, Weigl did not. He participated in an emotional and indescribable event, and was so horrified, that he could not breathe correctly. This poem was written because it was the only way he could describe these events that he did not want to participate in. As the reader, we are witnessing this event as well. This picture is painted in our imaginations of what Weigl and these soldiers went through. Maybe we will not be affected in the same way as them, but the fighting is relived with every thought.

Emotional memories stay with you forever and in Weigl’s case, sometimes they never leave, “Still I close my eyes and see the girl/ running from her village, napalm/ stuck to her dress like jelly” (lines 23-25). This by far is a very emotional event to witness, seeing another person on fire, and not being able to do anything, except watch. The guilt caused must be unbelievable, for it is probably the soldiers on the ground, who caused this to happen. Napalm does not just appear out of thin air. It must be dropped by a plane on a specific location. This is why the storm stopped. A bomb exploded that released a brutal and painful death upon the enemies. The enemies happen to be hiding in a village with innocent people. This girl was probably not an enemy, firing a weapon at the soldiers. She was just there, at the wrong moment, not thinking this could happen to her. “And the girl runs only as far/as the napalm allows/until her burning tendons and crackling/muscles draw her up/ into that final position.” (Weigl, lines 36-40). This adds to the emotional agony all ready experienced by these soldiers. They could not possibly think that the girl could stay up, covered in flame, running forever. The girl must fall just like they must live with this event, which they caused.

This poem was horrifying, and painful just for me to read. I do not know how someone could live with these events, burned into their mind. I keep imagining, this girl running down the street, flames surrounding her body, like a blanket, with the napalm dripping off of her as she swats it away, praying that some way, this could be a dream, a very real dream. Her run must come to an end, and she falls. We all know this is the end, as the fire burns her body into its final resting position. I do not think I could live with this event. This is a perfect example of the definition of poetry of witness. This was such an emotional event, I am sure Bruce Weigl does not want to remember it. But that will not stop him, “she is burned into my eyes” (Weigl, line 42). Pain will live forever, and it will be relived every time this poem is read. Weigl shared this event, which we would have otherwise never seen, so that this girl will be burned into the memories of everyone who reads this poem. We are witnessing her end just as the soldiers along with Weigl witnessed her suffering. That is not something we will soon forget.