Dalya and I
were lying on the grass
by my tent
at the base camp
in Amsterdam.
The sky
was a bright blue
and warm.
Do you know
how many Americans
died in that civil war
they had
between 1861 & 65?
she asked,
turning to look at me.
No idea,
I said.
An estimated 620,000,
she replied,
that Yank girl told me
the other night
in our tent.
That's a hell of a lot,
I said.
It is;
she said hundreds
of thousands
died of disease apparently.
She lit up a cigarette
and gave me one too.
I studied the sky,
clouds drifting by.
As many died
in captivity
as were killed
in the whole Vietnam War
so she had read,
Dalya said.
At least it
made a change
from her talking
about the guys she
been to bed with,
I said.
Guess so,
but her great-great
granddaddy was in it,
she told me,
he survived
but lost a hand.
I mused on it
and inhaled
and looked at Dalya:
is she sleeping
with you tonight
in the tent?
I asked.
Yes, I guess so;
I think she
and the Aussie guy
have split up,
they weren't talking
in the mini coach
this morning,
Dalya said.
Shame,
I said,
we could have
made out again.
She smiled
and said:
yes guess so,
but that's life,
and there you go.
We lay there
under the sun,
and I thought back
at the ****** fun.
Nov 23, 2016
Nov 23, 2016 at 2:14 AM UTC
Dalya and I
were lying on the grass
by my tent
at the base camp
in Amsterdam.
The sky
was a bright blue
and warm.
Do you know
how many Americans
died in that civil war
they had
between 1861 & 65?
she asked,
turning to look at me.
No idea,
I said.
An estimated 620,000,
she replied,
that Yank girl told me
the other night
in our tent.
That's a hell of a lot,
I said.
It is;
she said hundreds
of thousands
died of disease apparently.
She lit up a cigarette
and gave me one too.
I studied the sky,
clouds drifting by.
As many died
in captivity
as were killed
in the whole Vietnam War
so she had read,
Dalya said.
At least it
made a change
from her talking
about the guys she
been to bed with,
I said.
Guess so,
but her great-great
granddaddy was in it,
she told me,
he survived
but lost a hand.
I mused on it
and inhaled
and looked at Dalya:
is she sleeping
with you tonight
in the tent?
I asked.
Yes, I guess so;
I think she
and the Aussie guy
have split up,
they weren't talking
in the mini coach
this morning,
Dalya said.
Shame,
I said,
we could have
made out again.
She smiled
and said:
yes guess so,
but that's life,
and there you go.
We lay there
under the sun,
and I thought back
at the ****** fun.
A COUPLE IN AMSTERDAM IN 1974.
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