The People, Process, & Progress Podcast - Poems from a Young U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman | KEV Talks #4

Episode Date: October 16, 2022

A bit of a program change this week on Podcast Poetry: Reading Poems I wrote as a Young Hospital Corpsman as I share three poems I wrote in September of 1996. At the time I was a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman working in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Bethesda Naval Hospital and aboard the USNS Comfort. I found poetry to be a release from the sickness and pain I saw on a weekly basis.The Poems:Give a HootHooyah!Circle of LifeThank you all for listening, subscribing and sharing with a friend.Have a plan, stay informed and get involved,KevinKevin Pannell, PMP | Creator & Host of the "KEV Talks" and "You-Jitsu" Podcasts and the "Pannell 5 Fitness Club" YouTube Channel - Part of the KPannell Productions, LLC NetworkTwitter & Instagram: @pannellkgKEV Talks Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kevtalkspodKEV Talks YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN7H5njb6iG6NoRQ6bk-ooQ

Today's episode of KevTalks is sponsored by, well, you, the listener. Thank you for clicking play and for tuning into the show. KevTalks is the show that provides compelling interviews and value-added perspectives on topics primarily in the healthcare, wellness, technology, and public safety spaces. So enjoy your commute. Do we still do that? Coffee or morning walk, and let's fly into the KevTalks podcast in three, two, one. Hey, everybody. Kevin Pinnell, KevTalks Podcast back after another successful fly-in and superhero landing with some poetry. Why poetry when you talk about project management

and healthcare and technology and other things? Well, I got a scheduling change, had a guest I'm going to have to reschedule with. And so this week, I was going through my scrapbook. I found some cool things. When I was younger, I won this award for being the most obnoxious when we would critique people's artwork and just some really, really cool things from when I was younger, skydiving logbook, that kind of stuff. And I also found three poems that I wrote apparently in 1996 when I was in the Navy. They were in the good old, if you've been in the military, there's these green notebooks. It's almost like a fabric you covered kind of thing. And I said, you know what, I could, and I will do this in the future, like Man's Search for Meaning review and other book reviews I've read.

But I thought, you know what, let's have some fun with it and share them with you. So I did readings of each of these poems that I wrote. The first one is called Give a Hoot and it's focused on the environment. I'm not sure what kicked that off. I think maybe back then there was a campaign that said give a hoot don't pollute and I probably associated it with that and so it talks about the environment a little bit and walking in water and well here it is. Hear that noise? Don't talk, just listen. See the breeze flow and the moist dew glisten. There are a few yawns and stiff muscles and slumber. Hmm, smell the flowers and freshly cut lumber. My but that's cold as it flows across my feet.

It flows everywhere across the sidewalks and street. With grace and power it washes away all the soil and trash from another day. Its power can heal or tear down a foundation, yet some take for granted, to them, just a fountain. The streams they run downhill for many miles, to streams, lakes, rivers, and oceans, round aisles. The wondrous gift that God placed all around us. When there is none left, yes, there will be quite a fuss. So take heed, my friend, and enjoy while you can, for it's being destroyed by your fellow man. So remember, everybody, give a hoot, don't pollute. That was a fun writing, I think, back then. I'm sure inspired by that old campaign about giving a hoot, not polluting. I think we've come a long way since 1996 in the

environmental protection side of things. I'm not sure what sparked me to do that, but hope you enjoyed it. Hope it was a fun little minute and a half-ish break. The next poem that I'm going to share I called Hoo-Yah. Hoo-Yah is a thing that people yell in the military, in particular the Navy. It's kind of like, yeah! Or if you've watched things about Navy SEALs or other special operations, I think the Air Force does it too. They yell Hoo-Yah, and it's kind of an answer you give that means I'm motivated

and I can do it. And yes. And so, um, what I talk about in this one is, is kind of a wounded soldier, sailor, uh, or Marine. In my case, I was a corpsman. So it probably would have been a Marine. Um, if, you know, this was a real life story for me, it wasn't, but it was a story for a lot of people, right. That, you know, folks are injured or your patients are injured or your teammates are injured and maybe what they're going through. And I think, you know, looking back at this, my perspective is, you know, someone feeling the life leaving themselves, someone believing in something like I talked about maybe in the episode, you know, about faith and then accepting things and that they are not upset

and that they've done what they wanted to do in life. So here is Hoo-Yah from September 1996. Alas, it seems the hour is near, for I am surprised I have no fear. It's been contemplated through and through. Some people so near it know not what to do my friends and comrades are at my side these eyes once closed are now open wide there is no pain nor sense of doom but the room around me seems full of gloom I feel him coming to set me free for what real purpose has a soul for the body I am at peace and without fright it is is not dark, but blindingly bright. I see the room from above them all. Yes, I know, it's my final call. For those I fought with

through fiery hell, I thank them all for serving so well. God bless them all, be they friend or foe. It is to a better place that I go. I have but one final thing to say on my way. Hoo-yah. It's just another easy day. I think my mindset in that one was, you know, the thought of a soldier, sailor, airman, marine, police officer, firefighter, somebody that, you know, served, gave their last full measure, and they did it doing what they loved. Right. And did they want to die and leave this world? No. But again, when you're doing something you love and it's high risk and it's dangerous, um, then your heart is full. Right. And there's lots of, uh, you know, scenes from movies and in real life, right. People being

with their comrades in arms and, um, you know, not wanting to leave them, but, but doing so, um, with the people that they love doing something that they loved. So Godspeed to all those that have been lost, um, in service to our nation, both overseas and at home. And thank you so much for your service. And for those that I served with, thank you. And the last one I wrote really, really hit me. In fact, it choked me up when I started reading it and when I first read it again, because it's a foreshadowing almost of me now. In the poem, I talk about, you know, growing up, how, you know, teenagers kind of like,

oh, mom, dad, and getting older, getting married, finding a wonderful woman, which I have, of having kids. And then getting older, losing your spouse. Then meeting your spouse in the afterlife. And then looking down and seeing your grandchildren. And it really hit me, particularly with family and friends that I've either lost or they're sick or my life and challenges I've had. So I called this one The Cycle of Life. This one is also from September of 1996. Don't cry little one, for your papa is here.

Whenever I'm with you, you've nothing to fear. Thank God for your mother, who gave life to you. Not many like her, oh there are but a few. You've got her eyes and her wonderful smile. You're so special to me, I'd hold you all the while. But don't say it so. Yes, I already know. You're too big. With words like, oh mom, or dad, or you dig? Now you're in school and reading the books, so concerned with appearance and how it all looks. So what's her name and is she a nice girl?

You've gone to the fair to give the rides a whirl. Study or party, I know a tough choice, but listen to your conscience, that little voice. My god all these years have just slipped away. I'm so very proud you graduate college today mom and i are doing just fine you see we've taught you well and have a beautiful family oh god why have you taken her away it seems that i mourn her day after day i'll soon be with you my sweet don't you worry i'm getting so old that my vision is blurry there you are you are, dear, my sweet love and life. We're once again together as husband and wife.

Look down upon him. Gosh, don't you see? Our wonderful grandson looks just like me. Well, thanks everybody for joining me on this very brief podcast poetry session on the KevTalks podcast. Please check out KevTalksPod.com. It is the headquarters for all Pennell Productions items, which is the KevTalks podcast, the Jiu-Jitsu, Y-O-U-Jitsu podcast, where I talk about being interested in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and then help folks figure out how should you go sign up, what do you do if you sign up, try the intro class, all that good

stuff. So please check that out. And also the Pennell five family fitness club. So that's on YouTube. I just post exercise videos, hopefully inspire somebody like I've been inspired and motivated or get disciplined, whatever the appropriate word is that makes it stick, but basically to help folks get healthier. And that's all at kevtalkspod.com. So thanks again. I am Kevin Pinnell on LinkedIn also have a KevTalksPod subreddit and I am at PinnellKG on Twitter and Instagram so I might see you all on the line and I'll certainly see you at the next KevTalksPodcast episode got a great interview with a good buddy of mine where we're going to talk about some issues facing public safety thanks so much for being here but for now I've got to fly