A Death On Television

A DEATH ON TELEVISION

by Khe Iem
translated by DoVinh

AP. - MRS. ROSA GONZALEZ SAW HER SON’S BODY ON THE ARAB NEWS-CHANNEL AL-JAZEERA ON SUNDAY MORNING, AND THE NEXT DAY SHE WAS NOTIFIED THAT HER SON HAD BEEN KILLED IN ACTION. “I SAID POOR, POOR BOYS. THEY FELL THERE. BUT WHEN I SAW THE FACE, IT WAS THAT OF MY SON,” CPL. JORGE A. GONZALEZ, 20 YEARS OLD, WAS ASSIGNED TO THE 1ST BATTALION, 2ND MARINE REGIMENT, 2ND MARINE EXPEDITIONARY BRIGADE, IN CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA. MARRIED TO JUZTY, 25 YEARS OLD; HIS SON ALONSO, BORN MARCH 4, 2003, SEVERAL WEEKS BEFORE HE WAS DEPLOYED FOR COMBAT IN THE MIDDLE EAST. END OF NEWS FLASH. END. THE END. SILENCE.
CAN NOT BE SILENT.
AND A POEM, READ
RYTHMICALLY,
LIKE A
PRAYER...


The woman sees the death of her own son
on the screen but does not believe that her
son is dead, and even though the news came like
a storm about the death of her son, she

does not believe what she saw; no one received
the news and recognized the death of her
son and she also could not understand
even her own pain because that is only

a partial death on the screen and in the
news, and the pain is only a partial
pain; the story both real and unreal
about a son in times of war continues

to be told without ever quitting like
the pain shivering in her heart; her son
dead or alive, no one could know what is
behind the death of a young soldier leaving

a wife and a newborn child growing up
without a father other than a letter remaining
“And if you can wait just a little longer,
I’ll be there as soon as the war ends.”

“I’ll be there…” no one could understand
except the woman swallowing her pain
waiting another death of her own in
order to be with the son losing the

way home, and her memories fading for
more than once she does not believe what
she saw - the death of her son.

March 27—2003.