Vietnam on My Mind

Gone doun ae Sunday to the back-green
to take her washing in, my wife was raped
up the back-passage by an unseen
unkent sex-maniac wha’d seemingly escaped
frae some nearhand loony-bin or other.

My puir wee laddie, worried for his mother
rushed to the window when he heard her yell
and, raxing up, managed fine to lowse the sneck
but, in the lowsing, tint his balance and syne fell
the full fifteen feet – and aa but broke his neck!

Louping to my feet when I heard the crash
of my son’s body bringing both of us to earth
I went owre to window –
heard the sair stramash
of my lassie screaming MURDER!!!!
for aa that she was worth . . .
. . . and I jaloused that –
aiblins –
I’d neglected my ain kind
sitting by the fireside
with Vietnam on my mind.