Hookah Smoke and Hellfire: Poems from War (The Desert War Collection)

By Eli Gardner

Come with me to Afghanistan. Come with me to Iraq, and all the various places in-between. I will show you there is more to the Middle East than war. Ironically, I only know this, because I went there--to war. Over and over again. I saw beauty. I saw pain. I saw hookah smoke and hellfire. Come with me into these pages And I will show you some of the things I''ve seen. I will tell you some of the things I''ve learnt From those faraway places. -Eli War poems & stories--honest and beautiful--words crafted from over a decade of desert deployments. A look inside the mind of a poet warrior. Simple language, deep concepts. "Eli''s words will break you, fix you, teach you, and haunt you. Outstanding storyteller. What love and beauty is conveyed in these pages--for Afghanistan, Iraq, and the brother/sisterhood." "The much-needed voice for a new generation of veterans from the Desert Wars--as this generation takes a step back from almost two decades of war, they will need a way to process. They will need a way to heal. They will need a way to be represented. These poems and stories are all these things." With special guest contributors Hollie McKay (Conflict Journalist) and various veteran authors from Dead Reckoning Collective. 25% of proceeds donated to rotating list of veteran non-profits. Samples The Inside Out I sit on a low concrete barrier The sort that is common around base Handy for soaking up the frag pieces Of the enemy rockets that impact. The dark of night has fallen. The dust that hangs in the air Makes for a red moon. It is the sort of moon That if I was a teller of fortunes I might predict the end is near Because it looks a bit like blood. But I am no teller of fortunes. I am merely a girl With a twisted love of combat zones And I sit underneath this world-ending moon And look out at the airfield before me. The runways spit out the occasional plane I watch them taxi by. I wonder about the people they carry The missions they are going to fulfill. The blue taxiway lights remind me of Christmas somehow And there is a strange heavy calm to it all. The thing about a combat zone Especially one you''ve deployed to Time and time again It begins to feel like home. There is comfort in the runway signs In the whooshing of Chinook blades In the way there is a green light That rings the blades as they propel forward. These green rings of light Must be quite terrifying to see If you are on the receiving end Of a visit from them. But for me they are art and music. It is all poetry. I watch the sky and think In that morbid way That at any moment a rocket might fall Like a star when it gets too heavy. I''ve seen my fair share of rockets Trace patterns through the heavens As they make their way to base. It is a strange thought In a strange place. And the generators continue to hum around me Because everything is powered from them We are in the middle of a desert after all. And I''ve gotten so used to the sound Of them being in the background That silence is absolutely uncomfortable That silence sounds quite dangerous. But for now Let''s go back to the wall. Ironically it is my safe place. And when war becomes your safe place You have officially made it Into the Inside Out. -Eli Growing Old The war was still young when I enlisted And so was I. It was my entire military career. We grew old together. Now we sit and talk about All the things we saw Two lifelong companions. 13 years. 13 deployments. What perfect and unintentional symmetry. Helluva thing. Helluva life. -Eli Check out Eli''s novel, 1000 Nights: Death''s Love Letter to Afghanistan. She has two other poetry collections and can be found @abrakadabraink

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0BT81W45M
• ISBN13: 9798373875158
• Release Date: January 2023
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 200 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 0.5" x 5.5"